Answer given by Mr Breton on behalf of the European Commission
23.5.2023
Through its talents, innovation and infrastructure, the EU is in a strong position to develop clean energy technologies and compete on global markets.
At the same time, the largest economies in the world — from the United States to India, from China to Japan — have all started to invest massively in green innovation. While this can only be good news for the planet, it puts a lot of pressure on the EU’s competitiveness.
In this light, in order to make sure the EU is well equipped for the clean-energy transition, the Commission presented the Green Deal Industrial Plan[1].
It is based on four pillars: a predictable and simplified regulatory environment, speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills, and open trade for resilient supply chains. As part of the first pillar, the Commission recently adopted the Net Zero Industry Act[2] and the proposal for the Critical Raw Materials Act[3].
The proposals aim at enhancing the EU net-zero industry’s competitiveness, and supporting the fast transition to climate neutrality, as well as ensuring the EU’s access to a secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, respectively.
In accordance with the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the Commission adopted a new Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework[4] on 9 March 2023 to foster state aid for key sectors in achieving a net-zero economy. This framework aims to protect investments in clean-tech manufacturing from relocation risks and allows for ‘matching’ aid as a safeguard.
Finally, the Commission has announced its intention to give a structural answer to the investment needs, by proposing a European Sovereignty Fund before summer 2023.
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2023:62:FIN
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0161&from=EN
- [3] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-critical-raw-materials-act_en, Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/102, COM(2023) 160.
- [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023XC0317(01)