Kate Avnett
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The next European Commission president must do more to help European industry catch up in the green technology race with China and the United States, said Spanish Climate and Energy Minister Teresa Rivera, the front-runner to become the European Union's next green policy chief.
EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss key positions in the next European Commission, which will be headed by each of the EU's 27 member states.
Rivera, who is being supported by the Spanish government in running for a senior European Commission post on climate, rejected calls from some politicians for the EU to slow down the green transition but said more work was needed to address the impact on people and industry.
“This will be a very critical moment for Europe: either we overcome all the difficulties and emerge as a strong, positive force, or we implode,” Rivera told Reuters in an interview.
“The green agenda is a good impetus to catch up and get back on track,” she said.
The Green Party performed poorly in this month's European Parliament elections, while far-right parties skeptical of climate change policy gained seats.
Rivera said climate policymaking going forward will be harder, but she said slowing down Europe's greening will ultimately backfire as European companies lose their advantages in low-carbon industries and farmers are exposed to even more severe droughts and crop-killing heat.
Europe has taken a tougher stance against China amid intensifying global competition for green technology. The EU last week announced tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China and is investigating Chinese subsidies to wind and solar power suppliers.
Rivera said the next European Commission should consult with local industry to understand what conditions would help it “get back into the game” with the United States and China, such as greater public investment in next-generation technologies and streamlining bureaucratic rules.
“The United States recognizes that it needs to invest in its (industries) and is attracting capital and investment from all over the world, including European capital,” she said. “Why not do it at home?”
One of the first tasks of the next EU Commission will be to propose EU climate targets for 2040 to steer Europe towards its 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Rivera said he supported the European Commission's initial proposal to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040, but kept the option open to further cuts if possible.
(Reporting by Kate Avnett and David Holmes Editing by David Holmes)
