New EU climate and competition chiefs to develop bloc's 'clean industrial deal'
By Julia Payne
BRUSSELS, Sept 17 (Reuters) -The European Commission's new climate and competition chiefs have been jointly tasked with developing a "clean industrial deal" for the bloc as part of plans to promote clean energy and reverse lagging competitiveness, their mission letters showed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday named the team which will lead the EU's most powerful institution for the next five years, tailoring it to focus on challenges posed by climate change, the war in Ukraine and the rise of China.
In von der Leyen's mission letters to her new team, she emphasized they should heed recent reports by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta that warn of economic decline if swift changes are not made.
Wopke Hoekstra, the bloc's new climate chief, is tasked with enshrining the EU's 90% emission reduction target for 2040 into law and funnelling investment into net zero infrastructure.
He is also tasked with removing tax incentives for fossil fuels and accelerating the development of a single carbon market.
Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, the new competition head, has been tasked to help small EU businesses in the renewable energy sector to scale up as well as to "vigorously" enforce regulation against foreign subsidies.
The EU has been embroiled in a spat with China over what it perceives as China dumping subsidised electric vehicles into its market.
In a bid to promote new EU leaders, Ribera's mission includes protecting midcap companies and small businesses from "killer acquisitions" by foreign companies seeking to destroy competition.
The 27-member bloc has struggled to champion new leaders in the global clean tech race as the lack of a capital markets union hamstrings expansion within the EU and outside.
The EU faces growing competition from the U.S. and China and has been over-burdened by red tape and differing rules across its 27 member states. Von der Leyen has tasked her commissioners to cut reporting burdens for companies by at least 25% and at least 35% for small and medium businesses.
The EU wants to phase out petrol burning cars and to cut emissions by investing in more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar but major constraints on power grids and permitting have stymied efforts and run-up costs.
The new industry deal - including investments in infrastructure and clean technology - will be overseen by executive vice president for industry, Stephane Sejourne.
Reporting by Julia Payne
Editing by Christina Fincher
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