European countries are seeking to limit Chinese and American regulations on new car manufacturing, as the European Union is expected to unveil a plan to limit Chinese and American regulations incorporated into new vehicles.
The European Competitiveness Council met two days ago, bringing together European industry ministers to agree on protectionist rules to be implemented in specific sectors without harming business.
European leaders are well aware that any decision to protect European industry will significantly impact business and the overall investment climate.
On the same topic, Mr. Stéphane Séjourné, Vice President of the European Commission, spoke to French media and described the new US tariffs as “unjustified” and significantly damaging to European industry.
Mr. Séjourné said that the Americans have also taken other measures, such as a medium-term ban on all Chinese technology (software and hardware) onboard vehicles sold in the United States. He believes this is a good thing, as Europe may have the same idea regarding Chinese products.
The same speaker added that Europe should consider treating China and the United States equally, in order to protect Europe, especially against the risks of espionage emanating from both China and the United States.
Mr. Stéphane Séjourné spoke in an interview with L’Osine Nouvelle magazine and returned to European industry, emphasizing manufacturers’ commitment to using a certain share of parts and materials manufactured in Europe.
The Vice President of the European Commission said, “We must prevent Europe from becoming an assembly zone for cars, with components coming from the rest of the world.” Mr. Séjourné considered allowing the entry of imported technologies from China and other countries to be destructive to European industry and transforming the automotive industry into an assembly industry.
For your information, the European Union voted by a majority of its members to stop the production of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, with some members of the European Parliament believing that market conditions will be sufficient for the spread of electric power within ten years.
However, despite widespread support for the ban on conventional engines, French MPs voted against it. According to economic data, Europe is currently the most affected by the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, due to the intense competition from Chinese and American companies in Europe.
