Europe should be more competitive compared to the USA and China – and at the same time make the economy greener, i.e. more sustainable. To that end, the EU Commission will be presenting two key projects in the form of two legislative proposals tomorrow in Brussels. The first involves a significant expansion and promotion of green technologies. The second proposal is intended to make the EU more independent when it comes to important raw materials such as rare earths.
In terms of green technologies, the Commission wants to react to a multi-billion US subsidy package (Inflation Reduction Act, IRA) with the so-called Net Zero Industry Act. It was controversial until recently whether nuclear power should also be considered clean energy, as France and the Czech Republic in particular are demanding – and Austria, for example, vehemently rejects.
The second Commission proposal is intended to make Europe more independent when it comes to important raw materials, for example from China. Approval procedures for strategically important value chains are to be simplified. It is also about new mining projects and greater recycling of lithium or rare earths.
