Europe's automotive industry is at a crossroads. The Parliament's latest policy report explores what's next for an industry that finds itself in crisis.
Europe’s automotive industry is at a crossroads. Over the past five years, manufacturers have worked to reduce their emissions and meet greener targets. More recently, the European Union has shifted gears, adopting a more business-friendly strategy to boost the bloc’s stalling economy, of which the automotive sector is a central pillar.
To harmonise conflicting legislation, the European Commission released their Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector in March.
For this special edition, The Parliament speaks to Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, about how the plan may impact the bloc's car manufacturers.
Also inside, Jens Gieseke, the MEP leading the EPP’s campaign to roll back stricter targets in the European Parliament, explains why it's so important to protect the automotive industry.
Electric vehicles remain central to this debate. MEPs Kai Tegethoff and Sophia Kircher present their arguments for and against phasing out combustion engines.
Freelance auto journalist William Boston dives into the details of Chinese competition, particularly its booming EV business, and the new challenges this poses for European manufacturers. Finally, Francesca Ghiretti, an economic security researcher at RAND Europe, lays out what lessons the EU might learn from China to reinvigorate its own automotive sector.
The wheels of change are in motion. Now, it's up to European lawmakers and policymakers to take the wheel and figure out where to go.
- Matt Lynes, commissioning editor special projects and opinion