EU car sector calls for fewer regulations, better industrial strategy
The European car industry wants the continent’s policymakers to come up with a better industrial strategy as well as a reduction in the pace of new regulations over the next five years, according to the CEO of Renault.
Luca de Meo, who is also president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), told Euronews that if this is not done, then the sector will find itself in a tough competitive position globally.
The recommendations are part of a “manifesto and roadmap” by the ACEA, unveiled at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
De Meo added that any strategy must encompass all steps of the green and digital supply chains.
“I think we have a big idea, this is the Green Deal, and now we have to operationalise this thing,” he said in an interview.
“We have to define targets, and we have also to decide on who does what to this thing, who takes the responsibility based on which rules.”
The Renault CEO is particularly critical of the slow pace at which charging stations for electric vehicles are being established across the European Union.
He said that if Europe is to keep up with China, the number of installations needs to be increased by a factor of seven to ten.
“That thing cannot go completely on our shoulders. We can’t do that alone as automotive industry because it’s like one hundred years ago, if they would have asked us to control all the distribution of oil and gas. We didn’t, right,” de Meo said.
“So, our job is to manufacture a product and develop technology, but we need cooperation with others to do that.”
The association also came out against the heavy regulatory burdens it is facing – right now, the sector is confronted with eight to nine EU regulations coming into force every year until 2030, some of them conflicting.
Looking ahead to next year, the ACEA is forecasting a slowdown in new car sales compared to 2023, although the share of electric vehicles will sharply increase.
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