Germany and Italy want the EU to take swift action to save the European car industry, and not to talk about it for years first, the minister heard in Brussels. Beljaarts is also in favour of speeding up, but not at the expense of, for example, climate targets and the use of fossil fuels. Agreements have been made about this “and we must adhere to them”. According to him, a way must be devised to respect these agreements, but at the same time ensure that it does not take too long. “Because if we have a solution in ten years, it may well be too late for certain brands”, said Beljaarts. He also believes that Germany must first map out the problems properly, indicate “where the pain is”, explain what the consequences will be if aid is not forthcoming and come up with a solution. Only then, according to Beljaarts, should the discussion be held at European level. The German car industry is in dire straits. The Volkswagen Group is facing major financial setbacks as a result of weak car sales. The group is considering closing factories in Germany for the first time in its history. Mercedes and BMW have cut their profit forecasts for this year.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
