BRUSSELS/MAINZ (dpa-AFX) – The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, has spoken out in favor of a joint European initiative to support industry. “Similar to the Germany pact that Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed, we need a Europe pact,” said the SPD politician on Thursday in Brussels on the sidelines of talks between the prime ministers of the federal states and the EU Commission.
There is a need for less bureaucracy, fewer hurdles in procurement law and fewer requirements in state aid law in the European internal market. “This is important for developing future technologies in Europe,” said Dreyer. The companies would have major transformation tasks, would have to make large investments, but at the same time remain competitive. “This is necessary in order to achieve a climate-neutral industry and a clean circular economy.”
An industrial electricity price alone is not enough in view of the enormous competitive disadvantages for European companies due to high energy costs and against the background of large subsidy programs at competitors in China and the USA. “We therefore need an alliance for European industry,” Dreyer demanded. Companies that left Germany did not go to Poland, Spain or Ireland, but to China or the USA. “We therefore need a reorientation in European industrial policy in order to preserve our environment and our prosperity.”/chs/DP/ngu