Eurochambres welcomes the Clean Industrial Deal, but calls for swift implementation
Eurochambres has welcomed today’s Clean Industrial Deal as a long overdue recognition by the European Commission of the need to integrate climate and competitiveness within a unified growth strategy. However, its success will depend on swift and effective implementation with a clear focus on proportionate regulation that avoids unnecessary complexity for businesses.
Providing an initial reaction, Eurochambres President, Vladimír Dlouhý, said: “The Green Deal was not the growth strategy that it purported to be, and was based on the misconception that the EU can regulate its way to net zero. On the surface, the Clean Industrial Deal consolidates better climate response with competitiveness. It must be a fair deal for all businesses, enabling decarbonisation while simultaneously driving Europe’s reindustrialisation.”
To achieve this, the Commission should ensure that businesses beyond energy-intensive industries and the clean tech sector are considered during implementation. Special emphasis must be placed on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up 99% of all businesses in the EU.
Ensuring access to affordable clean energy remains critical to Europe’s competitiveness. EU companies continue to face electricity prices two to three times higher than those in the USA. Eurochambres sees the Clean Industrial Deal’s Action Plan for Affordable Energy as a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, chambers are cautious about whether the initiative can provide the much-needed short-term relief for businesses struggling with high energy costs.
While the Clean Industrial Deal offers promising opportunities, its initiatives must not increase administrative burdens for companies. Eurochambres urges the Commission to honour its pledge to cut red tape for SMEs by 35%.
As President Dlouhý aptly stated: “Businesses cannot thrive on commitments and announcements alone. The time has come for decisive action to reignite sustainable growth across Europe.”
