EU must protect car industry from Chinese rivals, commissioner says

The European Union needs to defend its car industry from Chinese competition, including a reassessment of its 2035 zero-emission target for new cars and vans, the bloc’s industry chief said in an interview published on Friday.Stephane Sejourne said the EU should also look at diversifying its exports and set out new rules to safeguard production in Europe.“We have to be less naive and get ourselves back to the standards of all the world’s major economies. We’re the only continent that lacks strategic thinking on industrial policy,” The former French Foreign Minister told Italian newspaper La Stampa. “if we do not intervene, in 10 years the cars produced and sold in Europe will fall from 13 to 9-million. “We must show flexibility towards the goal of a full stop of internal combustion cars by 2035,” he said. The EU is expected to review the target by the end of the year, in response to automakers’ appeals that a total shift to electric vehicles was no longer feasible. Sejourne suggested that European carmakers look to new markets to expand their sales and businesses should be less bureaucratic. He also hinted that the industry commissioner would take action against Chinese production facilities in Europe.“Today there are manufacturers that assemble Chinese cars in Europe with Chinese components and Chinese personnel: it’s happening in Spain and in Hungary. That’s not acceptable,” Sejourne responded to a question about whether Europe should adopt protective measures. “It is necessary to introduce conditions to foreign investment in Europe,” adding that tariffs, however, would create trade tensions and hurt production.He also said that to reduce dependence on China for rare earth minerals, Europe should consider new suppliers – such as Brazil, Canada and countries in Africa – and introduce restrictions on their use, recycle more and invest in potential local extraction sites.
2025-11-10 14:55:18