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Parliamentary question - E-008618/2015(ASW)Parliamentary question
E-008618/2015(ASW)

Answer given by Ms Bieńkowska on behalf of the Commission

1. Substantial funding under Horizon 2020 and the European Investment Bank dedicated support to research and innovation provides ample financial incentives to the automotive industry to continue investing in state-of-the art technology.

2. The Commission has been actively co-sponsoring the development of new global technical regulations for hydrogen and electric vehicles. Specific funding is being ensured under the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative. The adoption of the European alternative fuels strategy ensures that the Commission remains in the driving seat as regards the coordinated and timely market deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, which is a precondition for a faster market penetration of clean vehicles.

3. The Commission pursues an agenda of internationalisation of the EU internal market vehicle type approval rules through the 1958 and 1998 UNECE agreements. Together with an ongoing review of the framework Directive that aims at reducing the share of unsafe automotive products, it represents one of the key efforts to preserve the EU automotive sector's global competitiveness.