On the 1st of February, the European Commission (EC) presented “The Green Deal Industrial Plan,” which underlines the need for a green and digital transition with a solid commitment to sustainable fuels and renewable energy sources – the objective remains to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
To support this transition, the EC provides 250 billion euros from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, 373 billion from InvestEU, and 40 billion from the Innovation Fund. In operational terms, the EC proposes to work on legislative simplification, easy access to these funds, investment in training human resources (skills), and building a resilient and independent supply chain.
Despite being well-intentioned, the EC once again insists on a one-way economy of a very ideological nature and without impact assessments that quantify this strategy. The legislative proposals on the table and under negotiation with the Council and the European Parliament need to be revised concerning the principle of proportionality. They insist on objectives for which there is no guarantee of success and whose real impact on companies, jobs, and the economy needs to be correctly evaluated. Many numbers need to be more consistent and have a doubtful environmental effect.
One would expect more from the EC in a post-covid period and facing a war with devastating effects. More incentives for industry, greater technological neutrality in energy production, privileging and encouraging the production of green energy without closing the door to low carbon sources. Once again, ideology seems to prevail in the EC’s political decisions, in an inflexibility that condemns the competitiveness of our companies at an international level, forgetting that, without competitive companies, there is no Green Deal, there are no jobs, putting the various social protection systems at risk.
This form of governance for social networks is responsible for the escape of investment to competing trade blocs that are much more competitive and fall far short of the US strategy presented a few days ago by Joe Biden’s executive.
Regarding the Tourism sector, which is responsible for around 10% of the EU’s GDP, not a single line. A sector fiercely impacted by successive crises continues to be deprived of a specific line of financing. An ecosystem mainly composed of micro and small companies does not deserve careful attention from the EC. Quite the contrary, recent legislative proposals point to more fees and costs for the Transport sector, whose impacts on Tourism and Travel will undoubtedly be significant.
The European Parliament must therefore be firm in its demands and, as co-legislator, demanding in its negotiations. Here, the European People’s Party plays a crucial role in protecting companies, businesses, and job creation.
