European Commission should rapidly update its work programme
by Hans Diederichs
BDI CEO Joachim Lang comments on the presentation of the exit strategy by the European Commission. It is crucial to enable the smoothest possible movement of goods within the internal market as quickly as possible.
"Europe must coordinate the lifting of restrictions in such a way that no new breaks in supply and value chains occur. It is crucial to quickly restore the smoothest possible movement of goods in the internal market. European governments should act across borders and sectors instead of allowing nationally selected industries to resume production. Especially in times of crisis, any national solo effort is not part of the solution but part of the problem.
The European Commission should quickly update its work programme and review all projects for their suitability for crisis management. The aim must be to keep the damage to companies and their workforces as low as possible. Instead of placing an additional burden on the economy, the aim must now be to support it - also with a view to climate protection. The European Green Deal should be filled out in such a way that it primarily provides investment incentives for CO2 reduction instead of introducing new limits and bans.
We expect a new proposal for the multiannual financial framework to be made quickly, one that is much more focused on growth and future issues than before. This will require a greater willingness on the part of the Member States to provide the EU with the resources needed to meet the challenges it faces".
Source: BDI Photo: Christian Kruppa, BDI