exklusiv
Traditionally at the beginning of the year, the VDMA revises and updates its economic policy positions.
The planned Euro 7 emission standard must not reverse the success of the previous Euro standard. The combustion engine remains an important motor for the journey to green mobility, as a necessary part of a hydrogen economy. The planned obligation that new vehicles in Europe must be practically emission-free from 2025 onwards would be an ecological, economic and technological aberration.
Not the protection of human rights, but an extensive catalogue of sanctions against companies are at the core of the planned Due Diligance Regulation. The VDMA is therefore calling on the Bundestag to thoroughly revise the government draft that the cabinet passed on Wednesday.
On 9/7/2020, the Ordo-Economic Policy Sounding Board discussed current economic policy in times of Corona and subsequently sharpened VDMA's positioning.
The machinery and plant engineering industry believes that the 130 billion euro package to stimulate the economy is fundamentally the right thing to do.
Foreign direct investment in Germany, just like German direct investment abroad, ensures the success of the German mechanical and plant engineering industry. The political goal must be to achieve the same investment conditions everywhere as in Europe.
With innovative technologies of the future, the German mechanical and plant engineering industry can make a significant contribution to meeting national and international climate targets. Against this backdrop, although the start of a new system has been successful, a number of opportunities have been missed.
Ten years after its introduction, there are increasing calls in politics and industry for a "softening" of the debt brake and an end to the "black zero". VCI, VDMA and ZVEI jointly advocate adherence to the debt brake.
Platforms, AI, data or cybersecurity: in digital issues, the EU sets the rules. But the ambition is bigger: digitalisation should solve societal problems and strengthen the EU globally.
AI in industry does not need further regulation now, but a factual approach to the risks.
A launch event organised by the BMBF this week presented how the almost 100 billion euros of the new EU research programme will be distributed. There are also funding opportunities for mechanical engineering.
The mechanical and plant engineering industry is desperately looking for skilled workers. Immigration of qualified workers from third countries can also help here if the planned Skilled Workers Immigration Act is designed and implemented in a practical, transparent and unbureaucratic manner.
Under Joe Biden, there is finally an opportunity to achieve a more positive trade relationship between the EU and the US. Now is an opportune moment to enter into talks with the Americans on concluding transatlantic trade agreements, for example on mutual recognition of conformity assessments.
The VDMA is convinced that it is in favour of a market economy based on regulatory policy and rejects small-scale interventions and subsidies as a matter of principle. Beyond that, however, there are exceptional cases, which have to be justified in each case, which can justify a selective deviation from the basic line.
The EU Commission continues to focus on opening markets and free trade agreements. This creates reliable framework conditions for exports by the mechanical engineering industry. But the idea that EU trade policy can solve all contentious issues in international politics is wrong.
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