E-car bonus and more freedom for the economy: Scholz's wishes for the EU

During a visit to the Ford plant in Cologne in December, Chancellor Scholz called on the SPD to promote the sale of electric cars "throughout Europe". In a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) dated January 2, the Chancellor reiterated this idea. This is reported in the latest edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

In his apparently quite detailed list of demands, Scholz is concerned with taking the initiative to reduce bureaucracy to improve European competitiveness. Or at least to show potential voters that his party is tackling economic policy competently. After all, there is a Bundestag election coming up with an extremely short lead time for the campaign. The topic of "economic policy" has a high priority in the programs of all parties.

"Unbureaucratic tax deduction" for e-cars

The Chancellor wants the EU to support the car industry by providing "additional purchasing impetus" for the ramp-up of e-mobility. For Germany, he has in mind an "unbureaucratic tax deduction for vehicles produced in Germany", which would ease the burden on private buyers. In his opinion, however, even better would be support at European level, as he proposed back in December. He writes: "I would ask the European Commission for a corresponding initiative in the short term."

Scholz also called for the European punitive tariffs imposed on Chinese e-cars in the fall to be withdrawn. The EU should "bring its talks with China to an amicable conclusion". The German government had voted in vain against these EU "countervailing duties" in the interests of its heavily export-dependent automotive industry.

Natural gas and blue hydrogen too

Scholz also expects support from the EU for the transformation of energy-intensive production sectors, in particular the conversion of steel production to more climate-friendly alternatives. The EU should not only promote "green hydrogen" from renewable production, but also natural gas and so-called "blue hydrogen" for a transitional period, during the production of which carbon dioxide (from non-renewable energy) may be stored ("CCS"). "The overly strict requirements for green hydrogen" are damaging competitiveness, writes Scholz elsewhere, and would like to see a slower transition.

A central demand is a simplification of administration: "We now urgently need joint European impetus to reduce bureaucratic costs and increase the innovative capacity of our companies."

During her first term of office, von der Leyen focused on a climate-friendly transformation of the economy and the so-called European "Green Deal", which was regularly criticized by the conservatives in the EU Parliament. In her current term of office, she is now taking greater account of the competitiveness of the European economy again. However, the goal of electromobility is not wavering.

(fpi)