Brussels announces an investigation against China for "illegal aid" to the production of electric cars

The president of the European Commission (EC)Ursula von der Leyen, announced this Wednesday that she will launch an investigation against China for the supposedly illegal aid it grants to the production of electric vehicles, since it considers it an "unfair practice" that distorts the European Union (EU) market.

The program to which Von der Leyen has referred grants tax exemptions to those consumers who purchase electric vehicles until 2027 and has an estimated value of 72.3 billion dollars.

"It is a crucial industry for the clean economy, with enormous potential for Europe, but global markets They are flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars", while its price "is kept artificially low thanks to huge state subsidies"Von der Leyen explained in her first intervention in the Debate on the State of the Union (SOTEU) held in the plenary session in Strasbourg (France).

The German leader has warned that this "is distorting the market" and recalled that "Europe is open to competition" but "not for a race to the bottom."

Despite the announcement, the EC leader has advocated for keep the lines of communication open and dialogue with China because there are also issues in which both actors "can and should cooperate." With this objective, the economic vice-president of the Commission and head of Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, will travel next week to Beijing to talk about "commercial and economic opportunities and challenges", as announced through his profile on the social network formerly Twitter).

The future integration of Ukraine and the Balkans, starting in 2024

Von der Leyen has also referred to the Union's enlargement plans, and has announced that the Community Executive will propose reforms during the first half of 2024 to the EU leaders to face future integration into the bloc of Ukraine and the Balkans. "The future of Ukraine, Moldova and the Balkans is in our Union", he proclaimed, ensuring that the EU must be "completed".

The head of the European Executive has valued the "big steps" that Ukraine has taken since it received candidate status and the "determination" to reform of other candidate countries.

Likewise, regarding the war in Ukraine, the head of the European Executive has assured that she will propose extending the temporary protection, valid until March 2024, that the European Union offers to Ukrainians who fled the war and are on the continent, in a announcement that has raised applause from MEPs.