Statement by Arnd Franz on the Action Plan and Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry

The announced accelerated review of the CO2 fleet targets for 2035 is a positive signal and important for companies'' decisions on their future technology mix. It is encouraging that the EU Commission has made openness to diverse technologies the core principle of this revision in its Strategic Dialogue meeting on Monday. However, the action plan presented today does not contain a clear commitment to this crucial point. The EU Commission must now concretely set out how CO2 targets can be reached in a technology-open manner. We need technological diversity that includes battery-electric and hybrid vehicles powered by renewable fuels if we are to reduce CO2 emissions quickly and safeguard hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe.

The planned measures to strengthen demand, such as requirements for corporate fleets or rules of origin for European components, may provide some short-term relief but distract from the real challenges. Our competitiveness can only be secured in the long term through deep reforms of energy, labor and bureaucracy costs as well as a strategic raw material and trade policy. 

We welcome the fact that the Commission President has already announced a continuation of the dialogue in June. The EU needs a real correction of course with the clear goal of strengthening Europe as a competitive and innovative industrial location - otherwise we will endanger the industrial base in the long term. The negotiations over the next few months will be crucial for the competitiveness of European industry.