Industrial sectors appeal to the European institutions to maintain a strong and competitive industry in the fight against climate change

Associations representatives from sectors, steel, chemical, refining, paper, cement, lime and derivatives, ceramics, and bricks and tiles, with a turnover more than 100,000 billions of euros generate 20 percent of the gross Industrial product of the Spanish economy and more than 500,000 direct jobsthey support the goal of the European Commission's lead the global effort to combat climate change and to develop appropriate initiatives to achieve an international agreement to this global challenge. A set of associations linked to these sectors have developed the following communiqué:

Despite the relative minor impact that climate change will have any policy limited to the area of Europe, we support the ambition of the Commission to act quickly and show the way forward. Success in the fight against climate change can only be achieved with the solutions that the industry can provide. A strong and competitive industry is a necessary condition to develop innovations and technologies necessary to achieve an economy energy-efficient and low-emission of CO₂.

Industrial sectors regret the fact that the reasonable arguments put forward by the industry have not been at all into consideration in the revision of the draft of the directive European trade of emissions (ETS). As a result, the measures provided for in the draft will be a negative impact on the direct and indirect costs that lastrarán the future of the industry as a whole. The proposed measures will not provide global environmental improvements because they displace only geographically sources of greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, they drastically mermarán the competitiveness of the industry and destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs, rather than stimulate the promised solutions to develop an energy strategy efficient and low carbon emission. In addition, they could reduce the security of supply in industries as basic and vital to the economy of the oil refining.

We therefore urge the Commission to adopt a strategy to create a climate conducive to investment and innovation, thus ensuring the competitive and sustainable enterprise development. The main condition for this is that, while there is no international agreement that will ensure that the emerging economies with whom we compete undertake to equivalent to our objectives, should be allocated for free emissions of CO₂ to our industries.

The competitive framework for our industries can not rely on hypothetical conclusions of future studies and negotiations. It is unacceptable for the investment decisions and is not acceptable that legislators consider the competitiveness of the industry a second priority. European citizens need a low strategy in carbon which is satisfactory, not an ideology of carbon that harms the competitiveness of Europe. It is time to remind the Community institutions that a competitive European industry is essential for economic development, employment growth and to provide solutions to the challenge of climate change.

We solemnly call on the Commission to reconsider its position and to balance its proposal to the Council and the European Parliament.

The communiqué signatory associations:

ANCADE: National Association of manufacturers of limes and Spain derivatives

AOP: Association Spanish operators of petroleum products

ASCER: Spanish Association of manufacturers of tiles, pavements and ceramics

ASPAPEL: Spanish Association of manufacturers of pulp, paper and cardboard

FEIQUE: Business Spanish chemical industry Federation

HISPALYT: Spanish brick and tile manufacturers association

OFICEMEN: grouping of cement manufacturers, Spain

UNESID: Union of iron and steel enterprises