The employers’ associations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia express our full support for a comprehensive, streamlined EU industrial strategy to complement the European Green Deal and to support strategic, resource- and energy-intensive industries in Europe in the current multifaceted crisis.

We, as associations, and among our member companies, identify an urgent need to support the EU economy, industry and business, and address the growing gap in competitiveness, innovation and investment vis-à-vis global competitors. The appointment of a new College of Commissioners and the setting of new Commission’s priorities coincides with the formulation of a new EU Clean Industrial Deal, complemented by an Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act, to support European lead markets for the development, production and diffusion of clean tech in industry and to speed up related planning, tendering and permitting processes, in particular for energy-intensive sectors. This offers a unique opportunity and momentum to adapt European policies to the changed economic and geopolitical reality both inside and outside the EU and to follow the recommendations from the Draghi and Letta reports to enhance competitiveness and growth.

Therefore, we urge the EU institutions to take the following measures in the coming weeks, under the Polish Presidency of the European Union, and incorportate them into the anticipated EU Clean Industrial Deal:

1. Formulate and implement a comprehensive EU industrial policy, aligned with Green Deal goals

2. Complement the Clean Industrial Deal with an assertive and coordinated EU trade policy

3. Address the deficiencies in EU energy policy

4. Reduce regulatory burden and ensure an increased internal harmonization of EU policies under the upcoming legislature

5. Eliminate the regulatory gaps in EU carbon market policies

6. Support a sustainable Single Market for green and low-carbon products

More detailes in attached document.