Put sectoral industrial competitiveness at heart of policy, says automobile industry

Brussels, 2 December 2014 – The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) today called on policy makers to take genuine action on industrial competitiveness in the EU.

The Competitiveness Council will meet on 4 and 5 December and agenda items include the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy and a policy debate on the ‘mainstreaming’ of industrial competitiveness. Following the debate, the Council is expected to approve conclusions with the preparation of a roadmap for dealing with challenges and opportunities of the European industry.

ACEA, in line with other industrial players, emphasises the need for this roadmap to genuinely support European industry. ACEA welcomes the fact that political leaders recognise the contribution of industry to EU growth, and ACEA fully supports the aim for industry to contribute 20% of GDP by 2020.

However, ACEA is of the opinion that stronger sector-focused strategies will be needed to support the new European Commission’s call for greater job creation through strengthened competitiveness and stimulated investment in Europe.

Speaking ahead of the Competitiveness Council, ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert said, “ACEA calls for a more specific competitiveness strategy for the automotive industry in Europe to make the Commission’s Jobs, Growth and Investment Package meaningful for all those who are active in our industry.”

Mr Jonnaert added, “There is now a need to follow through on the recent CARS2020 initiative. The automotive industry favours a more focused policy framework, which prioritises innovation, balanced international trade and smart regulation principles. Every new legislative proposal should be screened to ensure they are cost effective and do not add unnecessary additional burdens on our companies. ACEA members are ready to act as a pilot sector for this focused policy approach.”

ACEA believes that a sectoral approach to competitiveness is the most effective way forward.


About ACEA

  • The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 14 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group
  • Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/

Contact:

  • Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47
  • Ben Kennard, Content Editor and Press Manager, bk@acea.auto, +32 2 738 73 17

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About the EU automobile industry

  • 12.9 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
  • 8.3% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
  • €392.2 billion in tax revenue for European governments
  • €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
  • Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
  • €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total
Content type Press release
Vehicle types All vehicles
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