EU presents plan to spur automotive industry

Brussels, Nov 9 (IANS/EFE) The European Commission has presented an action plan to spur the automotive industry in the 27-member European Union.

“It is the European Commission’s duty to prevent carmakers from leaving the Union,” Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani told a press conference in Brussels Thursday.

“Each closure of a plant is like an injury. If we don’t act, we risk facing a plant closure a month,” he said.

Auto sales have been falling in Europe for the last five years.

Tajani announced that the commission will meet at the end of this month with other member states, auto executives and union leaders to try and reach an agreement on how to undertake restructuring of the sector in a coordinated manner.

Anticipating the evolution of the market with the aim of adapting to changes and avoiding measures like restructuring is one of the pillars of the “Cars 2020” plan, which now must be analyzed and approved by the EU heads of state and government.

The plan also includes other medium-term measures focused on three areas: improving the internal market, pushing for innovation in the sector and broadening access to the markets of third countries.

The European government will try to improve the conditions in the internal market by presenting directives on the type of incentives to be offered to the sector in each country with an eye toward harmonizing these practices.

—IANS/EFE

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IANS 2012-11-09 11:44:10