France has proposed a European response to US grants for climate and health

numberThe document, reviewed by AFP today, also contains a proposal for subsequent funding to achieve this goal.

On December 15, at a summit in Brussels, European leaders committed themselves to a “quick” and “robust” response to the inflationary law passed by US President Joe Biden this summer, a massive investment plan, in the range of 430 USD. . One billion dollars, including $370 billion for the development of green technologies.

To counter the risk of companies leaving Europe for the United States of America, the European Commission has been tasked with preparing this response for the 27 Summit on February 9 and 10 in Brussels, with the obligation of all Member States to contribute to its formulation.

The French government memorandum proposes a “Made in Europe” strategy, to reassure Europe’s ability to attract or retain productive investment, set targets to reduce its dependence on six “sensitive” sectors – energy, critical raw materials, semiconductors, health, digital and agri-food – and targets production for 2030.

The chip law adopted by the European Union is the standard: it should allow Europe not to depend on China and other countries for semiconductor production.

Financial support must be guaranteed, according to the French text, for which several options are being developed: temporary and focused support, in the form of grants or tax credits, for strategic sectors; modernization of the very strict European system governing state aid; And in the long term, the sovereign fund must be operational “before the end of 2023”.

Paris said a reorientation of existing European funding could make it possible to create an emergency fund targeting strategic priorities.

France also recommends using all the tools developed by the EU for its “trade defence” and simplifying licensing for the installation of new industrial production sites in Europe.