Europe will continue to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” against Russia, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her speech today at the World Economic Forum Davos.
“THE our unwavering support for Ukraine he will know no relaxation. Whether it is support for the restoration of electricity, heating and water supply, or, in the long term, for the preparation of reconstruction,” he said.
European Sovereignty Fund
The President of the Commission also reiterated her support creation of a European Sovereignty Fund to support the industry of the European Unionagainst skyrocketing energy prices and Chinese and American subsidies.
“In the medium term, we will prepare a European Sovereignty Fund as part of the review of the execution of our budget that will take place during the year,” said Ursula von der Leyen during the first day of work of the Davos Forumwithout however specifying how this Sovereignty Fund will be financed.
“It is a structural solution that will allow increasing the reimgs available for research, innovation and key strategic industrial programs to achieve zero CO2 emissions.
The Sovereignty Fund idea, based on mutualization of funding at the level of the European Union, it has already been formulated by the president of the Commission, but it meets the opposition of many member countries, such as Germany, net contributors to the European budget who are concerned about the increase of their contribution.
Ursula von der Leyen avoided taking a position on the issue during her recent visit to Sweden, a country ideologically opposed to the idea of state intervention and which holds the EU Council presidency until June.
To begin with, European funding should be limited to redistributing existing reimgs, European diplomats admit.
The 27 are trying to coordinate ahead of the February 9-10 European summit and have asked the European Commission to come up with proposals by the end of January.
In Davos, the President of the Commission also confirmed that the Commission will propose “the temporary adjustment of the European rules on state aid in order to speed up and simplify the procedures”.
“Calculations will be easier. The procedures, simpler. Approvals will be expedited“, he said, at a time when many member states, including France, are calling for further relaxation of the extremely strict regulatory framework governing state aid within the EU.
However, the president of the Commission expressed her concern about the “fragmentation” of the European market, pointing out that “only a few member states” have sufficient fiscal room to resort to state aid, with the risk of a subsidy race in favor of the largest and richest countries”.
This is why “we must increase EU funding” he insisted.
Legislative framework for the promotion of green technologies
The European Commission will prepare legislation with the aim of “one zero emissions industry» gases that cause the greenhouse effect and, consequently, carbon neutrality, strengthening green technologies, announced the President of the Commission in Davos.
“The new regulation (…) will set clear targets for clean technologies until 2030. The aim will be to concentrate investments in strategic programs along supply chains” and “to simplify and speed up the licensing procedures for new production units” related with green technologies,” he said.
“Offensive Efforts”
The president of the Commission he complained from the step of Davos the “aggressive efforts” to attract Europe’s industrial capabilities; mainly in the area of technologies related to clean energy, “towards China and elsewhere”.
“We will not hesitate to launch investigations if we believe that European public works contracts or other contracts are distorted by such subsidies,” warned Ursula von der Leyen.
Source: News Beast
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