In the European Parliament debate on the current crisis in the automotive industry and the loss of competitiveness in Europe, the European Conservatives and Reformists called for an immediate end to the highly bureaucratic policies and regulations of recent years, which stifle entrepreneurial initiative.

Speaking on behalf of his group, Daniel Obajtek, ECR coordinator in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee, criticised the current status quo: “We cannot compete with China and the US. We are over-regulated and under-funded”.

He cited the emissions directives as an example of the contradictory policies with which Brussels often works against its own goal of competitiveness. Addressing Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commission’s executive vice-president for ‘an economy that works for people’, Obajtek said:

“You want to increase the competitiveness of old Europe and put the burden on the new member states, for example Poland, one of the biggest producers of electric car batteries in the world. And then you came up with a regulation that makes it unprofitable to produce electric car batteries in Poland.

“Instead of looking at the emissions of a specific factory as before, you will be looking at the energy mix of the entire country? This means that factories producing batteries for electric cars will be closed, and batteries will have to be produced elsewhere in Europe.”

According to Obajtek, the Commission’s strategy is highly contradictory and it is doubtful that it will pay off. “Instead of facilitating change, we are creating more barriers. Instead of fighting China, we are fighting against each other. This has to stop”, he concluded.