Brussels, 17 January 2023
On the 17th of January, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen pointed to the EU’s plan, the “Green Deal Industrial Plan” which should “make Europe the home of clean tech and industrial innovation on the road to net zero”. The plan is based on four pillars: the regulatory environment, financing, skills and trade.
In order to stimulate the creation of a regulatory environment that allows for the creation of conducive conditions for sectors that are needed to reach net zero, the EU Commission will introduce a new “Net-Zero Industry Act” which will identify clear goals for European clean tech by 2030. A special focus will be on simplifying and fast-tracking permitting for new clean tech production sites and in parallel to the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Commission will reflect on how to make clean tech Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) easier to fund while allowing for simplified access for small businesses and Member States.
Von der Leyen also stated that the Commission will propose to temporarily adapt state aid rules and that stepping up EU funding is needed, in order to prevent fragmentation of the Single Market. Furthermore, for the medium-term, a “European Sovereignty Fund” will be prepared as part of the mid-term review of the EU budget later this year. This fund should boost the resources available for upstream research, innovation and strategic industrial projects needed to reach net zero.
Source: European Commission