In a move to protect its industry and ward off China’s influence in the sustainable energy industry, the European Union (EU) is launching wind power packages and other action plans, Bloomberg reports.
According to the European Commission (EC), the measures are focused on protecting the European wind power industry from “unfair international competition,” but also aim to fight workforce shortages, and lack of raw materials.
EU’s energy sector largely depends on wind power, so importing more affordable equipment and parts from China poses a serious threat to producers based in Europe.
According to EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, Europe has “lost its leadership” to Asia-Pacific in the past two years.
The European Union’s commissioners for competition and internal markets, Didier Reynders and Thierry Breton, have proposed that similar to its current investigation into electric vehicles, the bloc look into Beijing’s subsidies to Chinese turbine producers.
“Like we just announced for electric vehicles, I believe it is time we investigate whether such advantageous conditions are due to attractive state-backed financing conditions for Chinese manufacturers that would not be possible in the EU,” Breton said in a statement last month, per Euronews.
The newly announced action plan is welcomed by many, including the trade association Wind Europe, which called the effort a “game-changer for Europe’s energy security.”
