It was about Europe’s loss of competitiveness against China and the USA. The group, which deliberated for an hour and a half, was a top-class group – some had had to delete appointments from their calendars a day or two earlier.
In addition to Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (both Greens), Economics Minister Martin Kocher and State Governor Thomas Stelzer (both VP), the three heads of leading economic research institutes, Gabriel Felbermayr, Holger Bonin and Monika, were present at the summit launched by Chancellor Karl Nehammer (VP). Köppl-Turyna, as well as Fronius boss Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß, BMW Steyr managing director Stefan Pielmeier, Ferdinand Steinhuber (S&S Steinhuber Blech processing) and Walter Kreisel from neoom as well as Economic Chamber President Doris Hummer and the head of the Austrian Industrial Association, Georg Knill.
Picture gallery: Government leadership at Fronius in Sattledt
Top government at Fronius (Photo: APA/BARBARA GINDL) Bild 1/12
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Results of the consultations: Kocher is to lead a strategy process on competitiveness, which will result in a concept with proposals for the next EU legislative period. And there should be new funding for “Made in Europe”, i.e. for products that contain European added value.
“This could be done for all of Europe, but we could also move forward in Austria,” said Kogler in the statements after the deliberations. Something is still possible in this legislative period. Nehammer, a little more reserved: “We are in the process of launching this initiative at European level; the location summit is the task for the Minister of Economic Affairs to find opportunities.” After the event, Gewessler announced the first planned form of the bonus in a broadcast: up to ten percent additional investment support for photovoltaic systems with European components, for example with inverters from Fronius or SMA in Germany. This should apply to companies’ PV systems and from 35 kilowatts. A two-thirds majority is required in parliament.
Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß, who recently pointed out the distortion of competition due to state-sponsored Chinese competition, said after the summit: “In order to link expansion goals more closely to European value creation in the field of renewable energy, it must be possible to promote future technologies made in Europe more than comparable products made in China.”
Stelzer appealed to give freedom to the creative spirit in Europe instead of regulating and banning it. This is the only way to create the Green Deal.
Recognized the problem
Pielmeier said: “We as the BMW Group expressly support the Federal Government’s initiative to bring politics, industry and science together and to provide impetus at the European level. It is important that measures are quickly implemented in the follow-up process to reduce bureaucracy and combat the problem at the national level shortage of skilled workers and inflation, strengthening competitiveness at the European level.” Upper Austria’s Industrial Association Managing Director Joachim Haindl-Grutsch: “The government has recognized the competition problem, now action must follow.”
When asked why the big summit was held within four days, some people said in the background that “top politics works at such short notice” and that the Chamber of Commerce’s massive warnings against production relocations on Tuesday may have led to even more participants being invited be.
Author
Alexander Zens
Economics editor
Alexander Zens
