Open Letter to Prof. Draghi and EU Heads of States on EU Competitiveness Strategy

to Prof. Mario Draghi and EU Heads of States

Industrial competitiveness will be high on the agenda of the Special European Council of 17^th and 18^th April in Brussels. It has lately tended to overshadow sustainability. We, members of the Platform for Electromobility, a unique coalition of industries, NGOs, and civil society organizations committed to advancing electric mobility across all modes of transportation in Europe, firmly believe there can be no industrial competitiveness without sustainability. The Green Deal has set the course. It is imperative to implement it swiftly and continue in that direction.

The EU does need an industrial strategy to ensure its businesses can complete the transition as planned. In our latest publication, “A 360° e-mobility industry strategy“, you will find five recommendations we believe should be a priority of the next strategic agenda:

1. Ensuring regulatory stability for industries and investors. This means first and foremost ensuring that the European Green Deal legislations as voted in the 2019-2024 mandate remain steady over time.

2. Enhancing value chain competitiveness and resilience. European industrial policy initiatives should see their focus widened from specific components to a more comprehensive approach, spanning from raw materials to end products and from individual to all modes of sustainable transportation.

3. Financing the short-term transition through accessible opportunities. Existing EU funds can already serve as valuable assets if they are distributed efficiently and intelligently, notably by streamlining access to finance, particularly for net-zero industries, through instruments such as the Innovation Fund and InvestEU.

4. Establishing a Net Zero Investment Plan for long-term financing. The STEP platform, although welcomed, unfortunately far from the pan-European response to global competition on cleantech that the EU needs.

5. Strengthening international cooperation. Strengthening ties with diverse regions would diversify sources, reduce geopolitical risks and uncertainties, ensure a secure supply chain, enhance global industrial collaborations, and uphold a fair competitive environment for all clean transport industries.

We urge the European Council and the upcoming report of the future of European Competitiveness to recognise that industrial competitiveness and sustainability are intrinsically linked and cannot go one without the other. Hoping that our recommendations will help shape the policy priorities of the upcoming EU legislative cycle, we stand ready to contribute to the discussions further.

Céline Domecq
Chair of the Platform for Electromobility, 2024