Czech industrialists: Because of the Green Deal, we have to sound the alarm. Fortunately, it resonates in Europe

The Green Deal in its current form will rapidly worsen the competitiveness of European industry, and the view on it must change. Czech industrialists who joined the so-called Antwerp Declaration told this to Echo24. It calls for the creation of a European Industrial Agreement as a supplement to the Green Deal. According to them, the European Union must seriously deal with the unsustainable regulatory burden.

The Antwerp Declaration calls for the creation of a European Industrial Deal, which will complement the Green Deal and focus on supporting industry in the EU. This should help increase its competitiveness, which according to experts is significantly threatened by the Green Deal. The Declaration supports the use of energy-sustainable and innovative technologies. It also promotes support and guarantees for energy-intensive industries such as the chemical industry.

In the new EC period starting from January 2025, the EU should strategically focus on building the necessary infrastructure, supporting the internal market, ensuring raw material security and supporting industrial innovation. The negotiations in Antwerp were held in the presence of Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Hundreds of associations across Europe joined the declaration.

The general director of the Union of Industry and Transport, Daniel Urban, told Echo24 that the goal of the initiative is to draw attention to the rapidly deteriorating competitiveness of European industry. “Concerns are not only caused by developments in energy-intensive industries such as steel, paper or chemistry, but also the situation in related industries, including, for example, automotive. The declaration draws attention to the fact that European companies face, among other things, the highest energy prices in the world, an overgrown bureaucracy and, in general, often meaningless or even contradictory goals from the European level,” said Urban.

According to him, the starting point could be the European Industrial Agreement, which would complement the Green Agreement and give industry “a truly strategic importance”. “The signatories of the declaration are asking the EU to get really serious about unsustainable regulatory burdens, energy prices, facilitate the introduction of innovation, complete the single market and generally focus on steps that will strengthen our global competitiveness. The basis of Europe’s prosperity so far is not burdensome regulation, but a free market, affordable energy and fair trade with countries outside the EU. These are all ideas that the Union of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic can identify with,” added Urban, adding that the initiative itself was started by CEFIC, the European Council of the Chemical Industry, but was quickly joined by hundreds of other associations and companies, who feel that it is need to sound the alarm.

The Czech Association of Petroleum Industry and Trade (ČAPPO) also joined the declaration. “ČAPPO perceives the Antwerp Declaration as a very important document for another new rational initiative of European industry with the priority of maintaining competitiveness. And we believe that there will also be a change in the view of the Green Deal within the EU. ČAPPO unanimously joined this declaration,” ČAPPO spokesperson Václav Loula told Echo24, adding that the EU urgently needs to conclude an industrial agreement on the green deal.

According to him, this agreement should help increase competitiveness during the transition to new energy. “Europe urgently needs business, industrial solutions as it faces ever-increasing resistance to its approach to greening the economy, especially in the context of setting even more ambitious targets for 204,” added Loula.

Other signatories from the Czech Republic include the Union of the Chemical Industry of the Czech Republic. “The Antwerp Declaration serves as a challenge to decision-makers in Europe and sets out a broadly agreed framework of ten key points outlining the need to address high energy prices, create a common European infrastructure, secure the supply of raw materials, support a smarter innovation framework and stimulate demand for sustainable products. The statement also advocates for the creation of a solid investment framework for technology and calls for the use of the single market to ensure that businesses remain in Europe,” states the SCHP CR on its website.

The response of Czech politicians to the fundamental problem is not very significant. On the contrary, the Polish opposition PiS directly declared on Saturday at its convention for the June EP elections that it is going to Brussels to reject the Green Deal.