Act now, or Europe's car industry will be lost

The EPP Group continues to sound the alarm on the combustion engine ban, a policy it has consistently opposed, and is urging the European Commission to take a more nuanced and realistic approach to reducing emissions.  
 

"The house is on fire, with almost every week bringing new announcements of layoffs from automotive manufacturers or suppliers," says Jens Gieseke MEP, EPP Group spokesman on the Automotive Industry. 
 

"We need reason and realism back in our politics. The future of the automotive industry is not purely electric, but it's not purely combustion either. We need a mix of technologies and openness to all technologies. The Commission must lift the ban on fossil-fuel engines by the end of the year and allow technologies such as plug-in hybrids, range extenders, and sustainable fuels to continue playing a role after 2035," Gieseke stresses.  
 

By taking a technology-neutral approach, the EU needs to allow engineers to find the best solutions and do the innovating instead of Brussels bureaucrats, create clear forward-looking goals for industry, but leave it up to them to decide how to achieve the goals, fostering a spirit of competition and innovation that will drive progress and create opportunities.  
 

"If we don't act decisively now, we will lose this vital industry forever,” Gieseke warns. “We call on the Commission to correct the mistake of the last legislative term and work with us to secure the future of Europe's automobile industry."