The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the start of a "strategic dialogue" on the future of the crisis-stricken automotive industry in Europe on Thursday.
"The fundamental question we must answer together is what we still lack to unleash our companies' innovative power and guarantee a robust and sustainable automotive sector," she says in a press release.
At the initial meeting, car manufacturers such as Renault, Volkswagen, and Volvo participated, as well as battery manufacturers, trade unions, and the environmental organization T&E. Further meetings on specific parts are forthcoming, which will culminate in an action plan from the EU's Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas on March 5.
The automotive industry in the EU is under severe pressure due to declining sales, high production costs, and competition from China. At the same time, the industry has been criticized for taking out too large profits and investing too little in affordable electric cars. Demands have been made to relax EU environmental regulations – but also for central EU support for the purchase of electric cars.
