EU duties on electric cars from China, Coldiretti: “Now give the green light to biofuels”
"Italy is an EU leader in the experimentation and production of seeds and technologies that make the production of agricultural raw materials"
ROME – The European Commission announced today thatelectric vehicles produced in China will be subject to an EU import tariff of up to 38.1%. “After the stop to Chinese electric cars, the EU must lift the veto on the use of biofuels, unfairly excluded from the exemptions granted in view of the end of sales of cars with petrol-powered engines and diesel, methane and LPG set for 2035″. This is what Coldiretti states on the occasion of the EU Commission’s announcement to impose duties on ‘green’ cars imported from Beijing, which are accused of being sold at prices of dumping thanks to state subsidies. In the regulation that imposes a ban on cars running on fossil fuels from 2035, the European Union has excluded the possibility of registering motor vehicles powered by biofuels even after this date – recalls Coldiretti -, which derive from the transformation of organic substances of vegetal or animal origin, while an exemption has been granted for synthetic ones.
ITALY LEADER IN THE PRODUCTION OF SEEDS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR HYDROCARBONS
“Italy is an EU leader in the experimentation and production of seeds and technologies that make the production of agricultural raw materials for biofuels perfectly synergistic, complementary and ameliorative of agricultural production itself – underlines the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini– creating a perfect model of circular economy which it is a serious mistake to exclude from the new European energy strategies.” An important step in this direction came from the G20 last September when Italy launched a global alliance for the development of biofuels together with the United States, India, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Bangladesh. Coldiretti has signed an agreement with Eni aimed at joint initiatives which include, among other things, the valorisation of agricultural biomass for the production of biofuels also for the recovery of degraded and polluted land for the production of energy and bio-chemicals. Starting from the use of waste from crops and livestock – concludes Coldiretti – it is possible in Italy to reach the goal of introducing 8 billion cubic meters of ‘green’ gas into the network between now and 2030 >, particularly important for national energy needs.
THE ECOLOGISTS GROUP T&E: “DUTIES ON CHINESE ELECTRIC CARS WELL, BUT NOT ENOUGH”
The environmental group Transport & Environmentwelcomed the announcement but said a broader industrial policy, which maintains the EU’s 2035 deadline for the sale of polluting cars, is needed to build the electric vehicle supply chain in the EU and to provide Made-in-Europe electric cars at affordable prices. Andrea Boraschi, director of the Italian office of T&E, said: “The Green Deal was presented with the promise of growth and employment, and this is not possible ifthe electric carssold on European markets are largely importedThe duties are necessary, but Europe needs a strong industrial policy that creates the conditions to accelerate electrification and investing in local production. The mere introduction of these tariffs, if not accompanied by the convinced confirmation of an objective of selling only zero emission cars starting from 2035, would be a self-defeating move.” According to T&E, maintaining the EU’s CO2 reduction targets for car manufacturers,including the zero-emissions car target for 2035, is essential to send the right signal to investors.< /strong> An EU industrial policy should also introduce strong sustainability criteria, which can reward local production. Furthermore, a Union investment plan should support the production of electric vehicles and batteries more effectively than the current patchwork of national state aid. According to T&E analysis published in March,one in four electric vehicles sold in Europe this year could be imported from China.The EU will retain three-quarters of the revenue from tariffs and T&E believes that these funds should be invested in strengthening the battery value chain, through the European Innovation Fund.