European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended on Wednesday that companies and the cleantech industry in the European Union (EU) be treated “fairly” by the rest of the world.
“If we look at the level of global equality, it is very important for us that our companies and the cleantech industry are treated fairly,” he said at a press conference after a trilateral summit in Brussels this Wednesday, which brought together key EU institutions with employers and associations.
This meeting discussed the competitiveness of the economies of 27 countries in a context marked by 340 billion euros in green subsidies approved by the United States under the anti-inflation law for the cleantech sector, an area in which China and Japan also planned to invest 260,000 and 140,000 million euros respectively.
Last week, the European Commission introduced the “Zero Emissions Industries Act” with which it aims to increase the production of clean technologies in the European Union in order to cover 40% of its annual consumption from its own production by 2030.
Von der Leyen mentioned this Wednesday that Brussels agreed with the United States to “start a dialogue on transparency” to know “exactly what incentives the US side has” so that the EU can “match it.”
The president acknowledged that there are “hidden and less transparent subsidies” from China, and said that in this case, a level playing field for companies in 27 countries should also be guaranteed.
“Within the framework of the single market, equal conditions are also needed. Thus, state aid was adapted to a specific, temporary application. Basically, all member states can use public assistance, but of course we know that for some it is easier to use and for others there is no financial leeway,” he said.
Von der Leyen reaffirmed that this assistance should be accompanied by general European funding and explained that there are several funds available: “There are many opportunities for Member States to provide tax incentives to the cleantech industry, as well as encourage projects and, more importantly, encourage pan-European cross-border projects,” he said.
The president of the European association of employers BusinessEurope, Fredrik Persson, acknowledged that competitiveness “is not built on subsidies”, but considered that in the current situation, “specific subsidies, as in the framework of the temporary crisis” of the European Commission, are very important.
Esther Lynch, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said that if companies receive state support, it must be ensured that with this support they offer “quality jobs and that workers are an integral part” of the investment. .
“There are differences among Member States, and we must ensure that the various tools that are being put in place ensure that each region, each Member State, does not fall behind because it cannot provide the necessary support,” he said.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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