A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age

Summary:

Communication adopted by the European Commission on 1 February 2023, setting out a Green Deal Industrial Plan aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the European Union's net-zero industry and supporting the fast transition to climate neutrality.

Further information:

The European Green Deal sets in stone the European Commission's green transition ambitions, including climate targets towards carbon neutrality by 2050. The Fit for 55 package provides a concrete plan to achieve those aims, with the REPowerEU Plan accelerating the move away from fossil fuels.

The Green Deal Industrial Plan, alongside the Circular Economy Action Plan, seeks to set a framework for the transformation of the EU's industry for the net-zero age. It aims to provide a more supportive environment for the scaling up of the EU's manufacturing capacity for the net-zero technologies and products required to meet the climate targets. It is based on four pillars: a predictable and simplified regulatory environment, speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills, and open trade for resilient supply chains. In this context, a consultation was launched alongside this Plan on amending the Temporary State aid Crisis and Transition Framework to speed up and simplify aid granting.

The Communication was adopted by the European Commission on 1 February 2023. The plenary of the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on this strategy on 16 February.

Official

European Commission: Priorities 2019-2024: European industrial strategy https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-industrial-strategy_en

European Commission: Press Release, 01/02/2023: The Green Deal Industrial Plan: putting Europe's net-zero industry in the lead https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_510

European Commission: Press Release, 01/02/2023: State aid: Commission consults Member States on proposal for a Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_513

European Commission: Questions and Answers: Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age (1 February 2023) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_23_511

European Commission: Statement by President von der Leyen on the Green Deal Industrial Plan (1 February 2023) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_23_521

European Commission: Remarks by Executive Vice-President Vestager on the proposal for a State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (1 February 2023) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_527

Renew Europe EP Group: Newsroom, 01/02/2023: Plan to counter US green subsidy bill must be genuinely European https://www.reneweuropegroup.eu/news/2023-02-01/plan-to-counter-us-green-subsidy-bill-must-be-genuinely-european

European Parliament: Press Release, 16/02/2023: Green Deal Industrial Plan: securing the EU’s clean tech leadership https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230210IPR74806/

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Resolution on an EU strategy to boost industrial competitiveness, trade and quality jobs (2023/2513(RSP)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2023/2513(RSP)

Greens/EFA EP Group: Press Release, 16/02/2023: Greens/EFA call for large-scale investments in green technologies https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/press/greens-efa-call-for-large-scale-investments-in-green-technologies

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News

France24, 30/01/2023: EU crafts response to US green tech subsidies https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230130-eu-crafts-response-to-us-green-tech-subsidies

The Guardian, 31/01/2023: Leaked EU plan reveals response to US and Chinese green subsidies https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/31/eu-plan-us-china-green-subsidies-state-aid-rules

EurActiv, 01/02/2023: EU announces own green industry plan in global subsidy race https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-announces-own-green-industry-plan-in-global-subsidy-race/

Reuters, 01/02/2023: EU sets out green industry deal to take on U.S. and China https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/eu-lay-out-green-industry-plan-counter-us-china-subsidies-2023-02-01/

EurActiv, 01/02/2023: Germany breathes sigh of relief at EU green industry plan https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/germany-breathes-sigh-of-relief-at-eu-green-industry-plan/

CNN Business, 01/02/2023: Europe unveils $270 billion response to US green subsidies https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/01/business/europe-green-deal-industrial-plan/index.html

Politico, 01/02/2023: EU faces up to US green subsidies with industrial overhaul https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-faces-up-to-us-green-subsidies-with-industrial-overhaul/

Bloomberg, 01/02/2023: EU Unveils a Green Investment Plan to Compete With US and China https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-01/eu-unveils-a-green-investment-plan-to-compete-with-us-and-china

EUObserver, 01/02/2023: EU green industry plan could spark 'dangerous subsidy race' https://euobserver.com/green-economy/156669

Euronews, 01/02/2023: EU presents new industrial plan to counter American green subsidies and prevent talent drain https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/02/01/eu-presents-new-industrial-plan-to-counter-american-green-subsidies

Deutsche Welle, 01/02/2023: EU unveils green industry plan to counter US spending spree https://p.dw.com/p/4Mymk

EurActiv, 02/02/2023: EU’s green industrial plan vague on clean tech, finance, critics say https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/eus-green-industrial-plan-vague-on-clean-tech-finance-critics-say/

Science Business, 02/02/2023: EU details plan to protect its net-zero industry – but questions remain https://sciencebusiness.net/news/Low-carbon/eu-details-plan-protect-its-net-zero-industry-questions-remain

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Commentary and Analysis

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC): Press Release, 26/01/2023: Net-Zero Industry Act: Now match the US on social standards https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/net-zero-industry-act-now-match-us-social-standards

EurActiv: Opinion, 26/01/2023: Von der Leyen is right: EU Must Support Enabling Industry https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/opinion/von-der-leyen-is-right-eu-must-support-enabling-industry/

Climate Action Network (CAN Europe): Policy Briefing, 31/01/2023: Assessing the EU’s proposals to boost a green industry https://caneurope.org/assessing-the-eus-proposals-to-boost-a-green-industry/

Reuters: Factbox, 01/02/2023: What's in the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan? https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/whats-eu-green-deal-industrial-plan-2023-02-01/

European Environmental Bureau (EBB): News, 01/02/2023: EU green industrial plans must be better, not just bigger https://eeb.org/eu-green-deal-industry-plan-must-be-better-not-just-bigger/

IDDRI: Blog, 02/02/2023: Three priorities for the Green Deal Industrial Plan https://www.iddri.org/en/publications-and-events/blog-post/three-priorities-green-deal-industrial-plan

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC): Press Release, 02/02/2023: Green industry plan hands CEOs blank cheque https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/green-industry-plan-hands-ceos-blank-cheque

Ernst&Young (EY): Tax Alerts, 07/02/2023: European Commission publishes proposal for a “Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age” https://www.ey.com/en_gl/tax-alerts/european-commission-publishes-proposal-for-a--green-deal-industr

Bloomberg: Opinion, 09/02/2023: What Europe Needs to Compete With Biden's IRA https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-02-09/europe-s-green-deal-industrial-plan-has-to-cut-red-tape-on-renewables-investment?leadSource=uverify%20wall

EUObserver, 13/02/2023: EU industrial policy forgets one important detail: people https://euobserver.com/green-economy/156701

European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Commentary, 16/02/2023: Strategy and risk: How to make the Green Deal Industrial Plan a geoeconomic success https://ecfr.eu/article/strategy-and-risk-how-to-make-the-green-deal-industrial-plan-a-geoeconomic-success/

Friedrich Ebert Foundation: IPS Journal, 16/02/2023: Waking the sleeping beauty of European industrial policy https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/economy-and-ecology/waking-the-sleeping-beauty-of-european-industrial-policy-6512/

Transport&Environment: Discover, 13/03/2023: Recommendations for the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/recommendations-for-the-eus-green-deal-industrial-plan/

Wind Europe: Press Release, 16/03/2023: EU Green Industry Plan falls short for now https://windeurope.org/newsroom/press-releases/eu-green-industry-plan-falls-short-for-now/

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