The European automotive sector wants to contribute to a policy response to COVID-19 that ensures public health, minimises the impact on the economy and maintains a focus on the overarching objectives of our time: the digital and carbon-neutral society.
This paper, issued jointly by the four associations representing the EU automotive sector (ACEA, CECRA, CLEPA and ETRMA), lists 25 immediate and tangible policy recommendations. They are designed to help shape the political and regulatory response to the COVID-19 crisis, ensure the successful recovery of the economy at large and support a forward-looking restart of the automotive sector.
25 key policy recommendations
- Issue harmonised guidance on health and safety precautions for the workplace
- Exempt transport of goods from border closures and align border control measures
- Maintain the central source of information on border measures set up by the Commission
- Grant uniform exemptions for cross-border commuting and necessary travel
- Consider temporary flexibilities in competition rules
- Use the deferral flexibilities offered by the Union Customs Code
- Reopen dealerships and motor vehicle workshops as soon as possible
- Introduce immediate vehicle renewal schemes for all vehicle categories across the EU
- Reinforce national renewal schemes with direct EU funding
- Direct EU funding tools at targeted public procurement of new vehicles
- Start the announced pilot for charging and alternative fuels infrastructure without further delay
- Speed up and facilitate investment in next-generation digital infrastructure
- Postpone all non-essential public consultations by at least 2 months.
- Assess the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on industry-relevant legislation
- Restart the type approval process as quickly as possible
- Enforce EU market surveillance of applicable legislation
- Propose ambitious Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive amendments already in Q3 2020
- Speed up legislative proposals to support uptake of low carbon and low pollutant fuels
- Reflect “Just Transition” and the Covid-19 recovery in the Skills Agenda
- Speed up the regulatory work on Digitalisation of Transport
- Ensure an ambitious Horizon Europe budget to support climate-neutral road transport system
- Enhance innovation-focussed public procurement in transport and mobility through ESIF
- Extend the EIB future mobility initiatives to fund innovation
- Support up- and re-skilling of the labour force
- Rapidly establish a sectoral Skills Pact for the automotive sector