The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented at midday, this Wednesday, February 1, her team’s plan to counter the deleterious effects of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) set up by the United States. . This plan is also designed to reduce dependence on China, and aims to keep the EU at the forefront of production of electric vehicles and “green” products in general.
With our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet
During her visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ursula von der Leyen denounced aggressive attempts to attract European industrialists. She specifically cited China, but the US Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, is also a major concern for the EU.
The project presented this Wednesday by the European Commission is to counter the huge support programs of these two countries, by first putting on the table budgets for investment, in particular for the short term: 225 billion euros from the post-Covid recovery plan and still unused.
European manufacturers must be able to benefit from public financial support, but not all the Member States of the Union have the same means as France or Germany.
The second part consists in easing the procedures to have access to subsidies and especially in partially suspending the European rules which limit state aid. Half a dozen sectors would be concerned, such as the production of green energy.
The debates are likely to be tough at the European summit next week, as some countries have been demanding more leeway on state aid.
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