European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today convened key European industry leaders, social partners and stakeholders to launch a strategic dialogue on the future of the European automotive industry. This dialogue marks the start of an inclusive and collaborative process to address the critical challenges facing the sector and ensure its continued success as a key driver of the European economy.
"The European automotive industry is at a pivotal moment and we recognise the challenges it faces. That is why we are acting quickly to address them. The fundamental question we need to answer together is what is still missing to unleash the innovative power of our companies and ensure a robust and sustainable automotive sector. Today is the start of a dialogue that will help us to manage the changes ahead. This dialogue will result in a comprehensive action plan that we will present on 5 March. This action plan will set out a clear direction to ensure that our industry can thrive in Europe and compete successfully on the global stage." said von der Leyen.
The automotive industry is a vital engine of European prosperity, supporting more than 13 million direct and indirect jobs and contributing around €1 trillion to our gross domestic product. Beyond its economic impact, the industry provides safe and affordable mobility for our citizens and businesses and produces products that are admired around the world.
The European automotive and supplier industry is undergoing a profound and transformational change. The Commission recognises the urgent need to take measures to protect the European automotive industry and ensure its continued prosperity within the European Union. In this context, President von der Leyen has instructed the Commissioners for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, to submit an action plan on 5 March. "The European automotive industry is a key pillar of the European economy. The sector is now in the midst of profound structural change. I am very pleased that today we have opened a dialogue with key stakeholders. This dialogue is very important for the development of the EU Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector, which I will present in early 2025," he said.
The Action Plan will address a wide range of issues important to the sector, such as ensuring access to talent and resources, supporting technological innovation and the development of next generation vehicles, and creating a pragmatic and predictable regulatory framework. It will build on:
- Today's high-level discussion, in which 22 key players from the automotive sector actively participated, focused on key areas that need urgent attention, including the need for an international "level playing field", facilitating the transition to a clean economy and streamlining regulation, as well as identifying areas where more concrete action is needed.
- A public consultation was launched today to gather the wider views of all stakeholders on the challenges and possible solutions, and;
- four thematic workstreams, under which the President mandated four Commissioners to lead targeted discussions on key topics with different stakeholder groups in the automotive value chain. Specifically:
- Commissioner Hoekstra will focus on a clean transition for the automotive industry.
- Commissioner Séjourné will address the industrial value chain for the sector.
- Commissioner Virkkunen will oversee discussions on technological and digital innovation.
- Commissioner Mînzatu will lead on skills and social aspects in the sector.
The results of this consultation process will inspire the action plan to be presented by Commissioner Tzitzikostas.
The Council and the European Parliament will be closely involved in the process and will be regularly informed and consulted on the dialogue.
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