“No more time for reports – the Strategic Dialogue now must deliver real impact based on the Draghi recommendations. We need to move from penalties-driven to market-driven and demand-driven approach to the transition,” said Sigrid de Vries, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). “As an immediate priority, EU action to address crippling CO2 2025 compliance fines for light-duty vehicles is an essential must-do to keep our industry competitive.”
“The Strategic Dialogue comes at a pivotal moment, as regulatory pressure, global competition, and weak vehicle demand have strained the industry, slowing business, reducing investment capacity, and impacting the workforce. Only in 2024, the automotive supply industry announced 54,000 job losses,” said Benjamin Krieger, Secretary General of CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. “Automotive suppliers are vital not only to the EU’s prosperity but also to the stability of regional and local economies, yet these foundations are eroding. Now is the time for industry and policymakers to align and take decisive action for long-term technology-open regulations.”
We are calling for the initial meetings to focus on these key short-term priorities:
Short-term
- Urgently resolve the 2025 CO2 target compliance burden for light-duty vehicles to ensure no penalties will be incurred.
- Accelerate the reviews of the CO2 Regulations for light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles, based on the assessment of the availability of the enabling conditions, market and value chain realities.
- Define the priorities for the Automotive Industrial Action Plan and ensure its coherence with the Clean Industrial Deal
- Discuss an EU-wide purchase incentive scheme for cars and dedicated measures to stimulate demand for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles (for example, public procurement).
- Assess the negative impact of trade tensions with US and China on the EU automotive industry and how to avoid them
- Urgently create transparency on the availability of enabling conditions, notably for heavy-duty vehicles, where information is largely absent. Establish a robust regular (6-monthly) monitoring of the state of a comprehensive set of enabling conditions.
The joint paper from ACEA and CLEPA provides more information about the essential short-, mid-, and long-term priorities that must be met to ensure the success of the Strategic Dialogue.
