At the European Parliament in Brussels today, SMMT met Malcolm Harbour, West Midlands Conservative MEP, to discuss the current state of the UK automotive industry and the future market outlook.
SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt emphasised the importance of industry to the rebalancing of the economy and drew attention to expected demand trends across the bus and coach, car and commercial vehicle markets.
Light commercial vehicles were a particular focus for discussion as industry is concerned over ambitious CO2 reduction targets set for the industry. SMMT explained to Mr Harbour the need for longer term targets that reflect the development and production cycles for vans, highlighting the potential impact on investment and employment levels associated with efforts to cut CO2 emissions.
Mr Harbour is one of the automotive industry’s biggest political supporters and was proactive in yesterday’s re-launch of the CARS 21 group. The group exists to advise the European Commission on a common action plan and vision for a competitive EU automotive industry that focuses on sustainable mobility and growth in 2020 and beyond.
