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Comprehensive and carefully managed transformation key to sustain industry competitiveness

CLEPA, together with the European Forum for Manufacturing, held a dinner debate at the European Parliament yesterday, focusing on the policy measures required to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector in the transformation to safe, smart and sustainable mobility.

 

Nicolás González Casares, MEP hosting the Forum

 

 

The dinner-debate “Future of mobility: Striving for sustainable growth” hosted by Member of the European Parliament Nicolás González Casares, from the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee, was attended by several MEPs, the European Commission and industry representatives, among others.

 

The need to prioritise industrial strength and deliver a carefully managed transformation to successfully decarbonise and digitise the economy was stressed by various speakers. Industry highlighted the role of new technologies to provide a safer, cleaner, smarter and more diverse mobility. Automotive suppliers are providing innovative technology solutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport by improving the internal combustion engine (ICE) and electrification of the powertrain in its various forms (mild, full, plug-in hybrid, full battery-electric and fuel cells) as well as through the use of low and zero carbon fuels. Moreover, improvements in manufacturing technologies and the re-use of materials add to a coherent framework for sustainability as well.

 

Roberto Vavassori, CLEPA President during his closing remarks

 

Roberto Vavassori, CLEPA President, argued for the EU to develop a competitive regulatory framework to ensure that Europe leads the world with new technologies, accompanied by a skilled workforce and supported by innovation. “It is important Europe takes the lead in a match, rather than sailing around the world in a solo race.”

 

Vavassori emphasised the magnitude of investment in clean, safe and smart technology delivered by industry and stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to effectively reduce emissions generated by transport in order to factor in the complexity of mobility needs as well as allow for a level playing field between the various technology options. “The industry therefore supports the work that is currently undertaken on behalf of the Commission to develop a methodology for life-cycle analysis (LCA), and agrees that strengthening the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) is an important tool towards achieving the common goal of a carbon neutral economy.”

 

The second part of the evening focused on how the transition to the world of new mobility must be accompanied with a strategy to secure a skilled and competent workforce for the future, as well as with measures giving special attention to SMEs. CLEPA is involved in the European Project DRIVES, presented during the event, which evaluates the skills that will be needed for the sector, detecting, analysing and evaluating best practices for automotive skills training and education in different EU member states, developing and implementing strategies to address skills gaps. SMEs are crucial building blocks of the value chain and hence key in the transition to new mobility as well. Access to training, research and innovation programmes must be supported with targeted framework conditions.

 

 

 

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