China dependence to make EU’s green transition more costly - Hoekstra
www.euronews.com
Hoekstra warns China dependence will make the EU’s green transition more costly, saying there is “no alternative” to levelling the playing field. #EuropeNews

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Europe must accept higher short-term costs to reduce its dependence on China for clean-energy technologies, EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has told Euronews, warning that delaying action will make the strategic vulnerability harder and more expensive to unwind.

The EU should have confronted its reliance on China “five to ten years ago”, Hoekstra said, arguing that waiting longer would bring greater disruption and costs.

“But it will be much cheaper and much more to our advantage to do it now than be wishy washy and wait another five to 10 years,” the Dutch Commissioner said.

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“This will stay with us for years to come, because the dependencies in many domains have simply become too large,” he said, describing the situation as a “dangerous and uncomfortable” vulnerability for both Europe’s climate ambitions and economic security.

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Tensions [between the EU and China] have intensified as Brussels has taken measures to protect the European market, targeting Chinese companies over issues including illegal products, state subsidies and foreign investment. Beijing has threatened retaliation.

Hoekstra pointed to Europe’s solar industry as a warning of what can happen when domestic production loses out to heavily subsidised Chinese imports.

But the Commissioner went further, raising concerns about alleged Chinese interference and security risks involving critical infrastructure in Europe.

“Kill switches are being included in windmills. Espionage happens at a very high degree on European soil. Intellectual property theft in our most advanced companies happens on a weekly basis and on and on and on — that is something no government and the EU can simply allow,” he said.

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The goal is … to ensure that Europe is no longer vulnerable to a single external supplier for technologies critical to its energy transition.

The challenge, Hoekstra said, is to build European capacity now — even if doing so comes with higher costs in the short term.

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  • DupaCycki@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    10 hours ago

    First of all, it’s not about “some ideals” but about long term security and independence. Or are those optional in your opinion?

    They are nothing but pointless slogans and fantasies. As I said, if anybody in the EU executive bodies actually cared about long-term security or independence, we wouldn’t still be doing business with the US, Israel, Russia, India, or several smaller countries that simply act as middlemen between the EU and Russia.

    It is absolutely true we should all be worried about that, and taking steps to ensure adequate plans and structures are in place. However, that’s not what this is.

    This is the US telling the EU to do less business with China, and the EU blindly following orders. It will not lead to better security or independence. The only things it will lead to are higher cost of living in the EU, and more money in American oligarchs’ pockets.

    second was only 4 years ago and let EU cut ties with Russia.

    What? You do realize the EU is currently importing approximately the same amount of gas from Russia as it was before the war, right? Except now we do it through middlemen like India, who charge an additional fee.

    In the end, the EU still happily buys gas from Russia. Just for a higher price than before. Which means we’re paying more for absolutely no reason. Because the EU, as clearly demonstrated in this and other examples, does not care about principles or its long-term security. If it did, it wouldn’t be signing extremely predatory, one-sided trade agreements with the US.

    Of course, it’s not that the EU is evil and wants Europeans to suffer. The main issue is that the European Comission, Council, as well as Parliament, are all filled to the brim with foreign assets. Judging by who benefits the most from it - most likely American assets.

    • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.netEnglish
      11·
      10 hours ago

      It sounds like you think you can redirect entire continent in a matter of weeks. Yes, EU still depends on gas. A lot of it is used in industries that don’t have viable alternatives yet. This doesn’t change the fact that many countries are investing heavily in renewables and trying to limit this dependence. Obviously it can’t be done in a year or two but you’re completely ignoring all the progress that was made because it doesn’t fit your narrative.

      Also, EU is working hard to stop importing weapons from US. This varies by country but for example Spain canceled their F-35 orders, other countries are also choosing European manufacturers now. This also doesn’t fit you’re narrative of “EU blindly following orders”.

      I can see we’re not going to agree here. We clearly look at the same data and read it in different ways. I think your missing all the nuance. You think EU could magically cut all ties with Russia and US without terrible economical impact and they don’t do it only because they are corrupt while in reality EU is doing a lot of progress but has to work against internal divisions and people like you, doing everything they can to undermine it.

      • DupaCycki@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 hours ago

        It sounds like you think you can redirect entire continent in a matter of weeks.

        No. I expect it to be done within years. In the last 20 years there has been next to 0 progress on cutting ties with the US or Israel. Only minimal effort in the last 18 months.

        This doesn’t change the fact that many countries are investing heavily in renewables

        They are, and it’s great. The problem is, this entire post is about EU’s commisioner for climate action who calls to stop buying renewable infrastructure from China. Which accounts for 90% of all produced globally. So he’s basically saying we should abandon renewables, for the sake of some delusional moral high ground over China. Which the EU is in no place to even claim.

        This is nowhere close to being in the EU’s best interest. The only beneficiary here would be the US, as usual.

        Also, EU is working hard to stop importing weapons from US. This varies by country but for example Spain canceled their F-35 orders, other countries are also choosing European manufacturers now. This also doesn’t fit you’re narrative of “EU blindly following orders”.

        One country canceled one order. Meanwhile Finland and Poland finalized their own purchases of F-35s, with Poland also ordering a lot of other equipment. Last year Germany finalized a 2 billion euro deal with an Israeli missiles producer. Similar deals in Italy, though on a smaller scale.

        I could go on for several A4 pages. All it takes is one quick search.

        people like you, doing everything they can to undermine it

        The only people undermining the EU are American spies, agents, and other assets, who completely fill the rooms on all EU meetings, and who make anti-EU decisions every chance they get.