German economy and climate ministry welcomes EU plan for auto industry, NGO says it will increase emissions
Clean Energy Wire
Germany's economy and climate ministry has welcomed the European Commission’s plans for the automotive sector, arguing it will increase the sector's international competitiveness. "With the action plan, the European Commission is making the future viability of the automotive industry a core concern of its industrial policy," said the ministry, which is run by Green minister Robert Habeck. The ministry added it will now study the proposals in detail.
The so-called Action Plan is built on the recommendations of a dialogue between different sector players. Rather than manufacturers having to comply with emission reduction targets by 2025, they will now be able to meet the targets by averaging their performance over a three-year period. Other proposals include a 1.8-billion-euro investment in creating a secure and competitive supply chain for battery raw materials and introducing trade defence instruments to make the EU automotive industry more resilient to competition from abroad.
Winfried Kretschmann, Green state premier of the state Baden-Württemberg, which is home to Mercedes, Porsche, and a large supplier industry, also voiced his support. “We have long campaigned for the review of the CO2 fleet limits for cars and trucks to be brought forward,” he said. “The flexibilization of penalty payments in the passenger car sector is an important signal.”
In contrast, non-profit Environmental Action Germany (DUH) rejected the plan, saying it will lead to fewer electric vehicles on roads and therefore more emissions. “Instead of a free pass for climate-damaging combustion engines, we need instruments that make the purchase of climate-killer cars unattractive," said the lobby groups's director Jürgen Resch.
A 27 percent reduction in sales of electric vehicles in Germany in 2024 means the country is far from hitting its 2030 targets. However, a recent survey found the number of Germans willing to buy an electric car had almost doubled.
