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We, Renew Europe, want our Union to fulfil its promise of prosperity and opportunities for our fellow Europeans. We have championed initiatives to make our continent freer, fairer and greener, but much more remains to be done.
We are convinced that Europe has what it takes to become the global industrial leader, especially in green and digital technologies. Yet it is faced with higher energy prices and lower levels of investment, which creates a double risk of internal and external fragmentation.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has shown us that our European way of life cannot be taken for granted. While we stand unwaveringly at the side of our Ukrainian friends and commit to the rebuilding of their homeland, we also need to protect our freedom and prosperity.
That is why Europe needs an urgent and ambitious plan for a competitive, productive and innovative industry ‘made in Europe’. Our proposals below would translate into many more jobs, a faster green transition and increased geopolitical influence.
We must improve the conditions for companies, big and small, to innovate, to grow and to thrive globally.
1. Reforms to kick start the European economy: A European Clean Tech, Competitiveness and Innovation Act
While the EU can be proud of its single market, we must improve the conditions for companies, big and small, to innovate, to grow and to thrive globally.
- In addition to the acceleration of the deployment of sustainable energy, we call on the Commission to propose a European Clean Tech, Competitiveness and Innovation Act, which would:
- While the EU can be proud of its single market, we must improve the conditions for companies, big and small, to innovate, to grow and to thrive globally.
- In addition to the acceleration of the deployment of sustainable energy, we call on the Commission to propose a European Clean Tech, Competitiveness and Innovation Act, which would:
- Cut red tape and administrative burden, focusing on delivering solutions to our companies, particularly for SMEs and startups.
- Adapt state aid rules for companies producing clean technologies and energies.
- Introduce fast-track permitting for clean and renewable energies and for industrial projects of general European interest.
- Streamline the process for important Projects of Common European Interest, with adequate administrative resources.
- Guarantee EU-wide access to affordable energy for our industries.
- Strengthen the existing instruments for a just transition of carbon-intensive industries, as they are key to fighting climate change.
- Facilitate private financing by completing the Capital Markets Union to allow our SMEs and startups to scale up.
- Set the right conditions to increase Europe’s global share of research and development spending and reach our own target at 3 percent of our GDP.
- Build up the European Innovation Council to develop breakthrough technologies.
- Deliver a highly skilled workforce for our industry.
- Deepen the single market by fully enforcing existing legislation and further harmonization of standards in the EU as well as with third countries.
We need to reduce more rapidly our economic dependencies from third countries, which make our companies and our economies vulnerable.
2. Investments supporting our industry to thrive: A European Sovereignty Fund and Reform Act
While the EU addresses, with unity, all the consequences of the war in Ukraine, we need to reduce more rapidly our economic dependencies from third countries, which make our companies and our economies vulnerable.
In addition to the new framework for raw materials, we call on the Commission to:
- Create a European Sovereignty Fund, by revising the MFF and mobilizing private investments, to increase European strategic investments across the Union, such as the production on our soil of critical inputs, technologies and goods, which are key to the green and digital transitions.
- Carry out a sovereignty test to screen European legislation and funds, both existing and upcoming, to demonstrate that they neither harm the EU’s capacity to act autonomously, nor create new dependencies.
- Modernize the Stability and Growth Pact to incentivize structural reforms and national investments with real added value for our open strategic autonomy, in areas like infrastructure, resources and technologies.
While the EU has to resist protectionist measures, we will always want to promote an open economy with fair competition.
3. Initiatives creating a global level playing field:
A New Generation of Partnerships in the World Act
While the EU has to resist protectionist measures, we will always want to promote an open economy with fair competition.
- In addition to all the existing reforms made during this mandate, notably on public procurement and foreign subsidies, we call on the Commission to:
- Make full use of the EU’s economic and political power regarding current trade partners to ensure we get the most for our industry exports and imports, while promoting our values and standards, not least human rights and the Green Deal.
- Promote new economic partnerships with democratic countries so we can face climate change and all the consequences of the Russian aggression together.
- Ensure the diversification of supply chains to Europe, particularly regarding critical technologies and raw materials, based on a detailed assessment of current dependencies and alternative sources.
- Use all our trade policy instruments to promote our prosperity and preserve the single market from distortions from third countries.
- Take recourse to dispute settlement mechanisms available at WTO level whenever necessary to promote rules-based trade.
- Adopt a plan to increase our continent’s attractiveness for business projects.
- Create a truly European screening of the most sensitive foreign investments.
- We, Renew Europe, believe that taken together these initiatives will foster the development of a competitive and innovative European industry fit for the 21st century. It will pave the way for a better future for Europeans that is more prosperous and more sustainable.
Source: Politico
