EU should defend auto industry from US, China: EU Commission vice president

• Let's defend the auto industry from China and the US. We Europeans are naive,' Stephane Sejourne tells Italian media
• Sejourne says if they don't act, number of cars produced, sold in Europe to drop from 13M to 9M in 10 years

ISTANBUL

European Commission Vice President Stephane Sejourne said Friday that the EU should protect its automotive industry from the US and Chinese competition and re-evaluate the ban on sales of new cars with internal combustion engines, set for 2035.

"Let's defend the auto industry from China and the US. We Europeans are naive," Sejourne, who is responsible for the EU's industrial strategy, told Italian newspaper La Stampa.

"If we don't act, in 10 years the number of cars produced and sold in Europe will drop from 13 to 9 million," Sejourne noted.

Sejourne stated that they will announce plans to protect European industry against the US and China on December 10, adding that tariffs disrupt the value chain and cause trade tensions, but that they must impose conditions on foreign investment in Europe.

He added that the EU must bring flexibility to the goal of completely phasing out internal combustion vehicles by 2035.

European auto firms falling behind US-Chinese rivals

Recently, European automakers have been falling behind their competitors in the US and China, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

In August, the Chinese car brands outsold Audi and Renault in Europe. “European consumers are responding positively to the growing, competitive line-up from China’s car brands,” Felipe Munoz, global analyst at market research firm JATO Dynamics, said. “It appears that these brands have successfully tackled the perception and awareness issues they have experienced."

European automakers want the EU to reduce its carbon pollution standards, ease the 2035 ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines, and make buying electric vehicles made in Europe more appealing.

The goal of requiring all new automobiles sold in the EU to be zero-emission beginning in 2035 is being challenged by EU nations, particularly those with sophisticated automobile production capacity.