The European Commission has unveiled the Clean Industrial Deal and the Action Plan on Affordable Energy, marking a significant step in addressing energy and climate transition challenges. BusinessEurope has expressed approval of these initiatives but stresses the need for accelerated progress and consistency within the regulatory framework.
Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope, commented on the development: "It is encouraging to see that the Commission has listened to industry and recognised the urgent need to reduce the energy cost differential towards our major competitors, speed up and simplify permitting procedures, and increase demand for low-carbon and circular products."
Beyrer also highlighted the importance of engaging with third countries for market diversification while tackling market distortive practices due to overcapacity. Despite these positive steps, he emphasized that more immediate measures are necessary following last year's European Elections. "We urgently need swifter and more impactful measures to avoid these challenges becoming a new operating reality for businesses," Beyrer stated.
He expressed skepticism about whether today's proposals would sufficiently lower energy costs in the short term. Beyrer stressed that waiting until year-end for actions like those anticipated in the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act is not viable. He called for consistent application of 'technological neutrality' across all Clean Industrial Deal initiatives.
Beyrer urged the Commission to transform its declarations into concrete actions: "We urge the Commission to go beyond words and ‘walk the talk’, to ensure a competitive transition." He assured that BusinessEurope will continue working constructively with the Commission toward achieving this objective.