COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector
Date: 2025-03-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, autonomous vehicle, carbon neutrality, clean technology, electric vehicle, innovation, motor vehicle industry, pollution control measures, road transport, sustainable mobility

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.3.2025  COM(2025) 95 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector      
 
 
1. 

Introduction 

The automotive industry is a core engine of European prosperity and an essential part of Europe’s 
identity. European manufacturers have been global leaders since the invention of the automobile, 
producing iconic brands that set high benchmarks in innovation and excellence. Today, the sector 
accounts for €1 trillion in GDP, a third of private research and development investment in the EU 
and it provides direct and indirect employment to 13 million Europeans. For commercial vehicles, 
European  truck  makers  account  for  more  than  40%  of  the  world  market.1  The  European 
automotive industry leadership commands admiration from the world over.  

Currently,  the  sector  is  undergoing  a  structural  transformation  of  unprecedented  speed  and 
magnitude. The shift to clean mobility is accelerating. In 2024, already one out of five cars sold 
globally was electric. At the same time, the rapid integration of digital technologies, such as AI, 
software, sensing and communication devices, together with the increasing importance of digital 
services  and  connectivity,  are  shaking  up  the  sector.  It  is  imperative  that  the  European 
automotive  industry  not  only  navigates,  but  also  shapes  the  transition  to  zero-emission, 
connected and increasingly automated vehicles.  

While  facing  this  transition,  our  automotive  industry  is  also  confronted  with  serious 
competitiveness challenges. It faces global supply chain risks and dependencies on raw materials 
and battery imports, a still too large reliance on fossil fuels, fierce competition for talent, cost gaps 
in key inputs, and an increasingly volatile geopolitical context. European companies risk falling 
behind  on  key  strategic  technologies  such  as  batteries,  software,  infotainment  systems,  and 
autonomous  driving,  and  often  have  less  direct  control  over  many  raw  material  inputs,  while 
overseas  competitors  are  often  supported  by  assertive  industrial  strategies  and  receive  State 
support in various forms.  

This is a pivotal moment for the European automotive industry - decisive action is needed, and 
the European Union (EU) is committed to support the sector in its transition.  

That is the purpose of this Action Plan, which builds on the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean 
Industrial Deal and – in recent weeks – a wide series of consultations, led by the President of the 
Commission and several Commission members, in which more than 100 organisations actively 
participated.2 It sets out concrete measures to help secure global competitiveness of the European 
automotive industry and maintain a strong European production base through action in five key 
areas: 1) innovation and  digitalisation, 2) clean mobility, 3)  competitiveness  and supply chain 
resilience, 4) skills and social dimension,  and 5) level playing field and business environment. 

2.  The five Pillars of the Automotive Action Plan 

2.1 Innovation and Digitalisation  

To be globally competitive, the European automotive industry must urgently regain a leadership 
position  in  the  transition  towards  software-enabled,  AI-powered  connected  and  autonomous 
vehicles. The in-car experience for both drivers and passengers is becoming increasingly software-
defined, with new applications, such as automated and autonomous driving, communication and 

1 Statista Market Insights, January 2025. 
2 These consultations, which took place between January 30 and February 20, were complemented by an Open 
Public Consultation, which received more than 1900 responses. 

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infotainment  playing  a  more  central  role.  Such  elements  rapidly  become  key  strategic 
differentiators in which vehicle manufacturers (original equipment manufacturers – OEMs) must 
excel, but in which they currently risk falling behind overseas competitors.  

Promote autonomous driving and boost the single market for autonomous vehicles 

Autonomous driving technology will be a crucial determinant of competitiveness and will account 
for  a  significant  share  of  future  value-added.  It  is  expected  to  generate  value-added  for  the 
automotive sector of globally up to EUR 400 billion by 2035. 

Testbeds for autonomous driving 

In the EU, the conditions for road testing and commercial operations of fully autonomous vehicles 
are  less  favourable  than  in  the  US  and  China.  This  gives  competitors  in  these  jurisdictions  a 
significant head start.  

To boost market readiness and commercialisation of autonomous vehicles, the Commission will 
work with Member States to rapidly establish at least three large-scale cross-border testbeds, 
related regulatory sandboxes  and European Automated Driving Corridors.  Medium-sized 
cities willing to play a pioneering role could be included. These testbeds will allow for at-scale 
pilot  deployment  of  autonomous  vehicles,  both  for  passenger  and  goods  transport.  The 
Commission also commits to further assess the potential for automated vehicles integration in the 
transport system through communication between vehicles and infrastructure.  

Towards a Single Market for autonomous driving  

Today, the regulatory environment on connected and autonomous mobility is fragmented. Few 
Member States have national traffic rules that allow autonomous vehicles on their roads, blocking 
the  potential  of  the  single  market  for  autonomous  driving.  Cooperation  between  all  those  that 
develop and build those vehicles, as well as road operators and infrastructure managers is crucial. 
A more harmonised framework and EU level governance is needed to reap the benefits of our 
Single Market and to facilitate the swift deployment of connected and autonomous mobility. The 
Commission will take action to achieve this objective.  

The Commission will further develop, as a priority, the regulatory framework for autonomous 
vehicles, starting with allowing the approval of unlimited series of vehicles with automated 
parking systems in 2025 and more use cases (e.g. hub-to-hub freight transport) in 2026 ensuring 
their safety. Furthermore, the Commission will draw up refined rules to better support pre-
deployment  of  ADS  (automated  driving  systems)  and  ADAS  (advanced  driver  assistance 
systems) testing on public roads. Testing innovative ADAS  and  ADS technologies  on public 
roads  in  Europe  typically  requires  permits  based  on  exemptions  from  national  rules,  which 
requires  multiple  approvals  across  different  Member  States.  The  Commission  will  propose 
harmonised admission approval procedures in early 2026 to facilitate all ADAS and ADS 
testing on open roads across the EU.  

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Flagship Actions:  

Establishment of large-scale cross-border testbeds for autonomous vehicles starting in 2026. 

Boost regulatory framework and single market integration for European Autonomous Driving: i) 
with rules on unlimited series of vehicles of automated driving systems by 2026; ii) harmonised 
rules  for  testing  of  ADAS  and  ADS  on  public  roads  by  2026;  iii)  and  harmonised  rules  for 
deployment across EU. 

Boosting development of the European connected and automated vehicle of the future 

Chips, software and AI are the three core ingredients for the connected and automated vehicle of 
the  future.  While  European  vehicle  manufacturers  and  suppliers  account  for  45%  of  global 
automotive R&D investments, they are challenged in this area by tech companies and new ‘digital-
native’ automotive players from outside Europe. To avoid new dependencies as well as loss of 
value-added and employment to overseas, the EU needs to build its own industrial capacities 
for the software and IT hardware needed for clean, connected and automated vehicles. This 
includes  ensuring  that  such  software  and  equipment  is  designed  to  use  space-based  data  and 
services for navigation, high precision positioning, Earth observation and secure connectivity as 
provided by EU systems Galileo/EGNOS, Copernicus and soon IRIS respectively. 

European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance  

Close collaboration among European players, within the framework of EU competition rules, is 
needed  to  develop  shared  software  and  digital  hardware  building  blocks.  This  would  allow  to 
achieve  significant  resource  savings.  Car  manufacturers  could  accelerate  common  technology 
development  and  focus  resources  on  those  elements  that  drive  a  differentiating  customer 
experience.  

The Commission will therefore launch, without delay, the European Connected and Autonomous 
Vehicle Alliance, building on the preparatory work done in the European Vehicle of the Future 
Initiative, and the Horizon Europe automotive-related Partnerships, in particular 2Zero, CCAM 
and the Chips Joint Undertaking. It will bring together a critical mass of European automotive 
stakeholders,  including  SMEs,  to  shape  the  development  of  the  next  generation  of  vehicles 
focusing  on  common  architecture  elements,  shared  European  hardware  and  software  building 
blocks as well as  their standardisation. Based on a joint  innovation roadmap, the Alliance will 
deliver the following key activities: 

•  Develop a Software Platform for Software-Defined Vehicles: The Alliance will develop an 
EU-wide, open platform on Software-Defined Vehicles based on state-of-the-art open-source 
software building blocks, as well as interfaces, standards and tools. 

•  Develop an in-vehicle computing architecture for Software-Defined Vehicles: Autonomous 
driving requires centralised advanced computing capacity on board. The Alliance will develop 
a future-proof computing platform that is adaptable, flexible, energy-efficient, and capable of 
real-time performance, and will be integrating more advanced processors, including AI chips, 
while ensuring that software-defined vehicles remain scalable and easily upgradable.  

•  Develop  innovative  AI  solutions  for  the  automotive  industry:  Develop  sector-specific 
generative AI models and algorithms that allow e.g. autonomous driving, optimising operation 

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of  connected  vehicles  in  the  transport  and  charging  infrastructure,  and  effective  battery-
management or Al-driven predictive maintenance.  

•  Create  a  large-scale  distributed  pilot  facility  in  2026/2027:  The  facility  will  serve  as  a 
collaborative environment for industry for Software-Defined Vehicles and AI engineering 
and as a testbed for innovation in application layers.  

•  Accelerate  the  transition  toward  autonomous  driving:  Develop  and  deliver  an  ambitious 
technology  roadmap  for  the  development  of  shared  Autonomous  Driving  System  (ADS) 
components (software and hardware).  

The  Alliance  is  a  powerful  mechanism  to  accelerate  the  cross-border  cooperation  of  European 
industry on innovation, development and first industrial deployment of connected and autonomous 
driving  technologies.  The  Commission  stands  ready  to  provide,  at  the  request  of  the  industry, 
guidance on how pooling of automotive data to allow AI advancements in autonomous driving 
can be done in compliance with competition law. The Commission will also support the ongoing 
technical work of Member States to identify a possible Important Project of Common European 
Interest (IPCEI) candidate for clean, connected and autonomous vehicles, while ensuring it is 
accessible to innovative SMEs. 

Next-gen battery technology  

Overseas competitors are investing significant financial and human resources into R&D of future 
battery  technology,  with  heavy  state  support.  The  EU  is  putting  a  strong  focus  on  battery 
innovation  through the Horizon Europe partnership  BATT4EU. This  focus  remains important. 
The Commission will support the whole EU value chain of next generation batteries, including 
recycling,  in  close  cooperation  with  partnerships  in  advanced  manufacturing  and  advanced 
materials. For the years 2025 to 2027, the dedicated budget will be around EUR 350 million, as 
part of the overall Horizon Europe contribution for the automotive sector. 

Funding under Horizon Europe 

The activities of the Alliance as well as the Next-gen battery technology will be supported by joint 
public and private investment under relevant partnerships of Horizon Europe. The Programme will 
make  available  EUR  1  billion  for  the  automotive  sector  for  the  period  2025-2027,  including 
relevant  activities  financed  via  the  European  Innovation  Council.  In  the  future,  dedicated 
partnerships for specific activities could be brought together in a dedicated Joint-Undertaking for 
the automotive sector. This is without prejudice to the next MFF proposal’s package. 

Catalysing private investments for scaling up Innovation in Europe 

As announced in the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission 
will work with the EIB Group and private investors to deploy a TechEU investment programme 
to help bridge the financing gap for disruptive innovation, strengthen Europe’s industrial capacity 
and scaling up of companies that invest in innovative technologies in synergy with the European 
Innovation Council relevant  project portfolio.  In  the automotive sector, TechEU could  support 
investments  in  RDI  for  future  strategic  technologies,  digitalization,  AI  application,  along  with 
advanced manufacturing and supply chain industrial capabilities deployment, and the scale-up of 
strategic and competitive technologies by automotive OEMs, suppliers, and innovative technology 
companies, including the build-up of the battery cell technologies supply chain. 

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Flagship Actions: 

Establish the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance in 2025. 

Support research and innovation to connected and automated mobility and to develop next-gen 
battery technology through Horizon Europe. 

Other Action: 

Work with EIB Group and private sector to deploy TechEU investment programme on scale-ups, 
including for building up of the battery cell technologies supply chain.  

Cybersecurity  

The  hardware  and  software  components  of  connected  and  automated  vehicles  have  important 
security  implications.  The  Commission  will  follow  up  on  an  on-going  cybersecurity  risk 
assessment  on  connected  vehicles  under  the  NIS2  Directive  with  concrete  measures, 
including, if necessary, in the regulatory framework for motor vehicles, and will explore ways to 
build up a European industrial value chain for critical components. In parallel,  in line with the 
EU’s economic security strategy, the Commission, in dialogue with its international partners and 
in particular the G7, will develop a shared view of cybersecurity risks and potential mitigation 
measures related to connected vehicles. This is important to avoid further fragmentation of the 
global market. It will also develop economic security standards to tackle supply chain risks, such 
as overdependency, weaponization, overcapacity, tech risks, cybersecurity or security risks.    

Other Actions: 

Continue  working 
commercialisation. 

towards  sufficient  cybersecurity  without  stifling 

innovation  and 

Develop economic security standards. 

Access to vehicle data, functions and resources  

Connected and digital vehicles will create substantial new income streams and economic value 
from vehicle data. This potential is to a certain extent already unlocked with the Data Act which 
provides access to data from connected devices, such as vehicles on user request, as well as with 
the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) which provides for access to battery-related data.  

However, due to  many specificities of  connected motor vehicles  and its potential to  open new 
business opportunities, including on bi-directional and smart charging, complementary measures 
are needed. The Commission will therefore take adequate measures to allow the full automotive 
ecosystem  to  reap  the  benefits  of  data  from  connected  vehicles,  in  particular  through  the 
application of the Data Act and Guidance on in-vehicle data that will be published at the start of 
application of the Data Act. The Commission will, upon assessment of the effects of the Data Act, 
consider  further  action,  including  a  legislative  proposal  on  access  to  in-vehicle  data  and  the 
possibility to establish a European Automotive Data Platform. In this context, it will also take into 
account cybersecurity considerations, including for remote access to data.  

The Commission is also assessing whether the existing EU competition framework regarding 
vertical  agreements  in  the  automotive  aftermarkets  (the  Motor  Vehicle  Block  Exemption 
Regulation) is still fit for purpose, including against a backdrop of digitalisation.   

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Flagship Actions:  

Adequate measures on access to vehicle data, functions and resources including guidance on Data 
Act and if needed, a legislative proposal on access to vehicle data. 

Review  of  the  Motor  Vehicle  Block  Exemption  Regulation  (MVBER)  and  Supplementary 
Guidelines. 

2.2 Clean Mobility  

Road transport still represents around one quarter of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. To 
reach  Europe’s  ambition  to  become  climate  neutral  by  2050,  transport  emissions  need  to  be 
reduced by 90% by that date. And to ensure continued commercial success, it is also critical that 
European  OEMs,  which  are  already  strongly  investing  in  zero-emission  technologies,  regain 
technology  and  product  leadership  in  zero-emission  vehicles.  Zero-emission  vehicles  already 
account for a significant share of global sales and eventually will be the dominant market segment. 
A  strong  home  market,  supported  by  adequate  infrastructure  across  all  territories,  is  a  crucial 
enabler for this. 

Emission standards 

The transition to clean road mobility is supported by CO2 emission standards for new cars and 
vans and for new heavy-duty vehicles, which set progressively higher emission reduction targets 
for manufacturers. These standards provide long-term  certainty and predictability  for investors 
along the value chain, while allowing sufficient lead time for a fair transition. At present, there are 
close to 6 million zero-emission vehicles on Europe’s roads, but significant ramp-up is still needed 
to achieve the targets of 2035 and 2040.   

Demand for battery electric vehicles has been weaker recently than anticipated. Following a six-
fold increase from 2019 to 2023, the sales of battery electric vehicles in the EU slightly declined 
by 5.6 percent between 2023 and 2024, with market shares down from 14.6 to 13.6 percent, as 
well as delays in the market launches of affordable electric vehicle models.  

While  January  2025  figures  showed  a  15  percent  share  of  sales  for  battery  electric  vehicles, 
compared to 10,9 percent in January 2024, there is still a risk that the 2025 passenger vehicles 
emission  targets  may  result  in  significant  penalties.  The  Commission  will  therefore  swiftly 
present  additional  flexibilities,  through  a  targeted  amendment  of  the  CO₂  emission 
performance standards for cars and vans. The amendment, if adopted, would determine that 
compliance  is  assessed  over  the  years  of  2025,  2026  and  2027  combined  to  allow  car 
manufacturers  to  compensate  an  exceedance  of  the  target  in  one  or  two  of  these  years  by 
overachievements in the other year(s). This will contribute to safeguarding industry’s capacity 
to  invest,  keeping  the  overall  ambition  of  the  2025  targets.  The  Commission  calls  on  the  co-
legislators to reach an agreement on this amendment without delay, as this would create certainty 
for  the  sector.  As  mentioned  in  the  Commission’s  Political  Guidelines,  the  CO2  emission 
performance  standards  regulation  for  cars  and  vans  creates  predictability  for  investors  and 
manufacturers. The European Commission will accelerate work on the preparation of the foreseen 
review of the Regulation. The review will be based on a fact-based analysis, taking into account 
all  relevant  technological  developments,  and  the  importance  of  an  economically  viable  and 
socially fair transition towards zero-emission mobility.  

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Flagship Actions:  

Proposal to amend CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, to allow an exceedance of the target 
in one or two years by overachievement in the other year(s) for the period 2025-2027. 

Acceleration of preparations for the foreseen review of the Regulation. 

Boosting demand for zero-emission vehicles 

Supporting lower-income users through Social Leasing Schemes 

Social  Leasing  schemes  can  support  affordable  clean  mobility  for  less  advantaged  consumers, 
while giving a direct boost to zero-emission vehicles sales. The Commission will adopt in Q1 
2025 a Recommendation on Transport Poverty, encouraging Member States to adopt social 
leasing  schemes  for  new  and  second-hand  zero-emission  vehicles,  targeted  to  vulnerable 
transport users as part of the implementation of their national plans under the Social Climate 
Fund.  Social  leasing  (and  notably  schemes  for  the  rental  or  leasing  of  zero-emission  vehicles 
targeted at vulnerable groups) are also covered by the Guidance on the Social Climate Plans, 
which the Commission adopts on the same day as this Communication.  

Accelerating the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in corporate fleets 

Corporate fleets are an important part of the European vehicles market.  Vehicles purchased by 
undertakings currently make up around 60% of car registrations in the EU. Accelerating the uptake 
of zero-emission vehicles in corporate fleets will benefit the European automotive industry and 
will further reduce transport emissions. To ensure an adequate uptake of zero emission vehicles in 
corporate fleets, eliminating distorting subsidies for fossil fuelled vehicles is instrumental.  

The Commission  has started work on  a legislative proposal  to decarbonise corporate fleets, 
with the aim of setting out measures to support the uptake of zero-emission vehicles by corporate 
buyers, without putting unnecessary burden on SMEs and taking into account criteria on amongst 
others sustainability and resilience. To build momentum as quickly as possible, the Commission 
is  publishing  alongside  this  Action  Plan  a  Communication  to  decarbonise  corporate  fleets, 
which  outlines  actions  that  national,  regional,  and  municipal  authorities  can  already  take  to 
accelerate the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles.  

Shippers play an important role in  accelerating the share of zero emission heavy-duty vehicles 
(HDVs). As part of the work on corporate fleets, the Commission will also look into measures to 
accelerate the uptake of European zero-emission trucks. 

Accelerating the uptake of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles 

In the coming months, the Commission will adopt a targeted amendment of the Eurovignette 
Directive  to  extend  the  deadline  beyond  31  December  2025  to  fully  exempt  zero-emission 
heavy-duty vehicles from road charges.  

Competitiveness and investment in zero-emission trucks and road transport decarbonisation can 
be further stimulated through a quick conclusion of interinstitutional negotiations and adoption of 
the  proposed  revision  of  the  Weights  and  Dimensions  Directive.  This  would  ensure  payload 

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parity with diesel vehicles. In addition, several measures3 are proposed to incentivise investments 
in efficient trailers through favourable road toll variations.  

Finally,  the  retrofitting  of  conventional  heavy-duty  vehicles,  especially  buses,  with  an  electric 
powertrain  can  be  a  cost-effective  contribution  to  fleet  decarbonisation.  The  Commission  will 
support the development of a Regulation in the framework of the UNECE, harmonising the 
type-approval of such retrofitted vehicles at the global level.   

The Commission is also exploring action to support the uptake of clean buses made in Europe, 
including through vehicle fleet and depot conversion support and better aggregation of demand or 
amortisation rules for local municipalities.  

Better coordinating Member States’ incentive schemes for consumers’ purchases 

When  buying  a  new  car,  its  cost  is  generally  one  of  the  primary  customer  considerations. 
Currently,  Member  States  have  chosen  different  approaches  to  incentivise  the  uptake  of  zero-
emission  vehicles  even  across  Member  States  with  similar  market  maturity  levels  for  clean 
mobility.  These incentives are also  often subject to  changes, reducing  certainty for consumers, 
companies and investors. By now, important lessons have been learnt regarding the effectiveness 
of such schemes, allowing to optimize their design and support more environmentally sustainable 
and strategically resilient European production. A more coordinated approach at European level 
is needed. The Commission will start working, without delay, with Member States to exchange 
best practices and lessons learnt on incentives schemes for consumers. This work will identify a 
toolbox  with  options  for  incentive  schemes  that  are  designed  to  be  economically  efficient  and 
fiscally sustainable and tailored to the maturity of the markets in question and look into avenues 
for  possible  EU-level  incentive  schemes.  These  discussions  will  feed  into  a  Commission 
Recommendation,  that  will  also  identify  EU  funding  sources  from  which  Member  States  can 
support such incentives.  

Flagship Actions: 

Recommendation on transport poverty (Q1 2025) including Social Leasing Schemes. 

Communication (Q1 2025) and Legislative initiative to Decarbonise Corporate Fleets (end 2025). 

Other Actions: 

Targeted amendment of the Eurovignette Directive to extend the deadline to fully exempt zero-
emissions heavy-duty vehicles from road charges (Q2 2025). 

Finalise interinstitutional negotiations for the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive. 

Recommendation on fiscal and non-fiscal demand side incentives (2026). 

Accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure  

Availability  of  electric  recharging  and  hydrogen  refuelling  infrastructure  is  one  of  the 
preconditions  for  the  uptake  of  zero-emission  vehicles,  and  infrastructure  investments  are 
therefore  also  key  for  the  competitiveness  of  Europe’s  automotive  sector.  However,  the 

3 COM(2023)189, Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 
amending Directive 1999/62/EC, Council Directive 1999/37/EC and Directive (EU) 2019/520 as regards the CO2 
emission class of heavy-duty vehicles with trailers. 

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deployment of recharging infrastructure is not equally developed across the Member States and 
their regions. This has to change. 

Deliver on existing legislation 

The Commission will make available targeted technical assistance to Member States through 
the Technical Support Instrument for the implementation of actions foreseen in the Alternative 
Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).  

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) has proven to be an effective and efficient 
instrument to support recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure rollout. EUR 570 million 
will already be made available under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility to projects for 
the roll-out of alternative fuels infrastructure in 2025 and 2026 with a particular focus on heavy-
duty vehicles.  

In  the  Sustainable  Transport  Investment  Plan,  to  be  adopted  in  the  course  of  2025,  the 
Commission  will  make  additional  proposals  for  actions  to  remove  barriers  to  scale-up  the 
financing for recharging infrastructure.   

Grid access 

Delays in grid connections are often a major bottleneck hindering the deployment of recharging 
infrastructure, especially larger public recharging parks and the high-power chargers needed for 
heavy-duty  vehicles.  There  are  already  several  priority  actions  on  grid  access  in  delivery  or 
planned  under  the  EU  Action  Plan  for  Grids  (including  providing  more  transparency  on  grid 
hosting capacity and supporting grid operators in anticipating charging demand) and in the Grid 
Package and the Electrification Action Plan announced for Q1 2026.  

The Commission will shortly issue Guidance and Recommendations to the Member States on 
shortening the waiting time for  recharging points’ connections to grids and their priority 
treatment, drawing on best practices from Member States. The Commission also recommends 
that Member States presume that charging stations, their connection to the grid, the related 
grid itself and storage assets are in the overriding public interest in the context of permitting 
procedures. The Commission will assess whether that presumption should become mandatory. 
Member States should favour prioritisation of projects beneficial for the clean energy transition 
and efficiency of the power system, including charging points.  

The Commission will issue guiding principles by summer 2025 identifying conditions under 
which  anticipatory  investments  in  grid  projects  should  be  granted.  This  will  allow  to 
anticipate the future needs of the recharging infrastructure in the grid planning.   

The Renewable Energy Directive already authorizes Member States to plan dedicated areas for 
grids  linked  to  renewable  projects,  allowing  for  quicker  permitting  and  planning  procedures. 
Against this backdrop grids related to areas of relevance to the European Clean Transport 
Corridors initiative should be considered by Member States as similar acceleration areas 
than the ones designed for infrastructure related to renewable plans. The Commission will issue 
further recommendations on this matter.  

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Commercial vehicle charging infrastructure 

A critical action area is charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles, in depots and along key 
highway  corridors.  Infrastructure  investments  will  accelerate  the  take-up  of  clean  heavy-duty 
vehicles also of freight customers.  

The  Commission  will  work  with  Member  States  on  a  European  Clean  Transport  Corridor 
initiative  that  will  fast-track  the  deployment  of  heavy-duty  vehicle  charging  hubs  along  key 
logistics corridors in the TEN-T as critical infrastructure, including in the related urban nodes and 
their  multimodal  freight  terminals.  This  initiative  will  be  done  under  the  Competitiveness 
Coordination  Tool  that  was  presented  in  the  Competitiveness  Compass4,  and  will  focus  on 
streamlining  of  permitting,  leveraging  financing  to  de-risk  investments,  and  linking  to  the 
provisions for specific grid priority areas under the Renewable Energy Directive. The aim is to 
deliver first impact in 2025. The Commission will also look into ways to accelerate non-grid 
permitting  for  heavy-duty  vehicle  recharging  stations,  for  instance  through  changing  zoning 
regulations to give explicit support for heavy-duty vehicles charging along TEN-T corridors. It is 
also important to identify the right type of support to depot and public charging point operators 
for the installation of local electricity storage, such as financing or technical assistance. 

Smart and bi-directional charging 

With the build-out of renewable energy and increased electrification of end uses, flexibility needs 
will increase substantially. Smart and bi-directional charging can help alleviate the burden on the 
grid  and  support  the  efficient  integration  of  electric  vehicles  into  the  electricity  system  while 
saving energy costs of vehicle users.  

Member  States  should  therefore  put  in  place  a  conducive  framework  for  smart  and  bi-
directional charging. The Electricity Market Design Directive already provides Member States 
with a toolbox to support smart and bi-directional charging. They should ensure that distribution 
system operators offer fair network charges and avoid double taxing energy stored, including in 
EV batteries. More generally, Member States can through appropriate taxation of electricity create 
a  business  case  for  bi-directional  charging.  The  Commission  will  facilitate  the  exchange 
between  Member  States  on  best  practices  and  deliver  a  new  network  code  on  demand 
response (Q1 2026) which will ensure full market participation of different flexibility services, 
including bi-directional charging.  

In addition, the Commission will assess the needs for smart and bi-directional charging readiness 
of electric vehicles in the context of type approval. It will launch a regulatory sandbox for V2G 
pilots to address regulatory, technical and market challenges before large-scale deployment. 

4 The Competitiveness Coordination Tool will coordinate competitiveness investment and policies at EU and 
national levels, and design pilot cases for cross-border projects in selected key areas with a clear added value for 
Europe’s competitiveness. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
Flagship Actions:  

European Clean Transport Corridor initiative (Q3 2025). 

Make available EUR 570 million under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility in 2025 and 
2026. 

Guidance and Commission Recommendation on shortening grid connection procedures and grid 
connection prioritization.  

Guiding principles regarding anticipatory grid investments (Q2 2025). 

Other Actions: 

Support to Member States for the implementation of AFIR and EPBD by the Technical Support 
Instrument. 

Support  Member  States  in  putting  in  place  conducive  frameworks  for  smart  /  bi-directional 
charging and facilitate exchange of best practices. 

Mobilising private financing  

As announced by the Clean Industrial Deal, around EUR 50 billion additional investment will be 
mobilised under the InvestEU to support key EU policies, with EIB Group playing a prominent 
role  in  this  endeavour.  This  could  include  further  support  to  clean  tech  and  clean  mobility, 
including for the benefit of the automotive industry along the entire value chain, to help scaling 
up or to enhance the investment case for the necessary large-scale investments.  

Strengthening consumer trust 

The Commission will review the Car Labelling Directive in 2026, following the evaluation to be 
published in the first half of 2025, to support consumers to make sustainable choices and help the 
objective  of  increasing  the  deployment  of  zero-emission  vehicles.  This  can  be  done  e.g.  by 
including information about the carbon content of key materials used in the vehicle.  

It should be noted that depending on the country, 75%-90% of consumers buy only second-hand 
vehicles.  When  it  comes  to  zero-emission  second-hand  vehicles,  consumers  are  worried  about 
battery health and the repairability. To strengthen consumer confidence in battery electric 
vehicles,  the  Commission  will  assess  the  broader  issue  of  battery  repairability  and  take 
regulatory measures to ensure access to battery health information in the battery passport, and 
access to battery repair and maintenance information.  

Strengthening usability of charging infrastructure 

It is important that consumers can transparently compare charging prices and have full information 
on available infrastructure  at  their display. At present,  this can still be difficult,  and prices for 
charging can differ substantially from one charging point to the other. The AFIR already requires 
charge point operators to exchange all relevant data at no cost.  Under the review of AFIR in 
2026,  the  Commission  will  look  into  options  to  further  strengthen  price  transparency  at 
publicly available recharging points, taking into account relevant market developments. 

11 

 
 
 
 
Flagship Actions: 

Regulatory measure to ensure access to battery health information in the battery passport by Q3 
2026.  

Regulatory measure to ensure access to battery repair and maintenance information in Q3 2025. 

Review of AFIR to assess options to further strengthen price transparency at publicly available 
recharging points in 2026. 

Other Action: 

Review of Car Labelling Directive in 2026 enhancing consumer information. 

2.3 Competitiveness and supply chain resilience 

The European automotive industry is at risk of losing significant market shares due to its limited 
competitiveness in zero-emission vehicle technology and production capabilities, and a significant 
cost  gap  in  critical  components,  particularly  batteries.  Batteries,  which  account  for  30-40%  of 
value-added of a typical electric passenger car, are a critical battleground for future employment 
and value creation. Europe needs a cost-competitive domestic cell production and supply chain, 
also  with  a  view  to  preparing  against  supply  shocks  and  crises  and  protecting  economic 
sovereignty. That would cover a large part of the supply of battery cells and European value-added 
along  the  supply  chain,  including  EU  production  capacities  of  anode  active  materials,  cathode 
active  material  and  its  precursor,  and  other  relevant  battery  components.  This  also  requires 
investments of European players in battery material mining and refining operations in Europe or 
oversea. The objective for 2030 is to achieve a European added value of more than 50% along the 
value chain. 

Battery manufacturing – “Battery Booster” 

To achieve near-term cost competitiveness of domestically produced cells and components, this 
Action  Plan  presents  a  Battery  Booster  package.  Finance  is  an  important  component  of  the 
package. The Commission has already announced up to EUR 3 billion of the Innovation Fund 
for  electric  vehicle  battery  manufacturing.  The  first  call  for  EUR  1  billion  was  launched  on  3 
December 2024. The sector also benefits from a top-up of EUR 200 million InvestEU from the 
Innovation Fund. This will support innovative projects along the European battery manufacturing 
value  chain  to  address  financing  challenges  by  enabling  additional  EIB  Group  venture  debt 
operations over 2025-2027. The Commission will make available EUR 1.8 billion in the next two 
years for supporting companies manufacturing batteries in the EU by mobilizing resources from 
the  Innovation  Fund.  The  Commission  will  look  into  possibilities  for  financing  ramping  up  of 
European production lines in this context.  

The Commission will look into EU direct production support to companies manufacturing 
batteries  in  the  EU.  EU  support  could  be  combined  with  State  aid.  In  that  context,  the 
Commission is working on a new Clean Industrial State Aid Framework that will simplify State 
aid rules, notably to ensure sufficient manufacturing capacity of clean tech equipment in Europe, 
including batteries and their key components. The Commission is currently consulting Member 
States and stakeholders on a draft of this Framework. 

To boost European added value, the support could be available to overseas players if European 
companies have entered in partnerships with them that ensure sharing of skills, know how, 
technical expertise and technology, as well as sufficient added value for the EU.  

12 

 
 
When setting up such funding instruments, non-price criteria such as resilience requirements 
will be considered, both for EU and Member State funding.  

European content requirements on battery cells and components in EVs sold in the EU will 
be addressed in upcoming legislation, including the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act 
and the Circular Economy Act, in line with the Union’s international legal commitments. These 
requirements will reflect the expected gradual ramp-up curve of domestic production capacity.  

The new State Aid Framework will provide possibilities for Member States to further incentivize 
private investors through the de-risking of investments in portfolios of projects. Member States 
may also introduce tax incentives in the form of accelerated depreciation, including immediate 
expensing, for the acquisition of clean technology equipment required for the transition to a net-
zero economy. 

The  Commission  will  explore  additional  practical  ways  to  support  European  battery 
manufacturing during the critical scale-up phase, including via providing, on request, guidance on 
possibilities  for  closer  cooperation  between  battery  industry  players  in  compliance  with  EU 
competition  rules.  The  Commission  will  assess  how  and  to  what  extent  standardisation 
interventions,  especially  regarding battery design, could  be beneficial for  the European battery 
ecosystem  to  reach  economies of scale. The Commission  will also  provide clarity on  a simple 
calculation method for the battery carbon footprint as soon as possible. 

Battery raw materials and refining 

European  automotive  players  need  reliable  and  secure  access  to  low-cost  raw  and  refined 
materials. At the same time, value-added in these activities needs to be localized in Europe. 

Through the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), the Commission will present in March 2025 a 
list of Strategic Projects covering, first and foremost, the production of battery raw materials at all 
stages  of  the  value  chain.  Such  projects  will  benefit  from  streamlined  permitting  procedures, 
access  to  finance  and  offtake  agreements  will  be  facilitated.  In  parallel,  via  its  14  strategic 
partnerships  on  raw  materials,  ranging  from  Chile  to  the  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo,  the 
Commission  is  supporting  joint  investments  along  the  CRM  value  chain.5  The  Commission  is 
launching first calls in 2025 under the platform aggregating the supply and demand of some CRM. 
This will increase CRM availability and market transparency.  

But  more  is  needed.  In  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal,  the  Commission  announced  the  launch  of  a 
Critical  Raw  Materials  Centre  in  2026  to  aggregate  supply  and  demand.  In  addition,  the  EU 
Commission stands ready to facilitate joint private sector investments into the upstream value 
chain, allowing participating automotive players to benefit from significantly de-risked and lower-
cost materials supply. 

The application for streamlined permitting procedures for battery raw materials and refining 
projects  should  be  expanded  beyond  the  already  identified  Strategic  Projects.  As  such,  the 
Commission encourages Member States and regional authorities to apply streamlined procedures 
to all domestic projects along the battery raw materials supply chain. 

5 For instance, about EUR 10 billion of mutually reinforcing investments were secured between the EU and Canada 
along the battery supply chain with our EU-Canada strategic partnership.  

13 

 
 
 
The  Commission  will  explore  to  what  extent  additional  support  for  domestic  battery  material 
refining and processing ventures (e.g. downstream from lithium carbonate) would be helpful. The 
Commission will work to mobilise the public financial institutions to provide guarantee and de-
risk offtake agreements and other long-term contracts along the battery materials supply chain.  

Boosting circularity of the automotive supply chain 

The  transition  to  circular  economy  is  key  to  decrease  raw-material  dependency  and  increase 
strategic autonomy and resilience of the automotive supply chain, including the European battery 
ecosystem. The Batteries Regulation provides a framework for this. However, the business case 
for a comprehensive recycling value chain in Europe needs to be further strengthened. Significant 
investment is needed in both pre-treatment and post-treatment recycling capacities, more advanced 
recycling technologies need to be developed, and availability of recycling feedstock (i.e. waste 
batteries and high-quality metal crap) should be ensured. To this end, the Commission will look 
into financing support for end-of-life vehicles and battery recycling facilities.   

The  Commission  will  explore  further  actions  to  enhance  industry  cooperation  in  the 
recycling of raw materials, in line with the EU competition rules. To this end, the Commission 
will soon launch a fact-finding exercise to gather input from market participants. 

In order to protect the environment from hazardous waste, the Commission adopts, together with 
the present Action Plan, a Decision under the Waste Framework Directive clarifying that, when 
becoming waste, black mass shall be classified as hazardous waste. This will lead to better control 
of  shipments  of  black  mass,  and  especially  a  ban  on  its  export  to  non-OECD  countries. 
Increased access to battery black mass will also boost battery recycling. Additional measures to 
facilitate intra-EU shipments and impose further restrictions on export will be considered. 

Last but not least, a quick finalisation of the co-decision process on the End-of-Life of Vehicles 
Regulation will stimulate circularity in the automotive industry and improve the availability of 
secondary materials and affordable used spare parts. 

Promote European production of components 

To boost the European production of key vehicle components, any public support benefitting the 
automotive  industry  will  be  made  conditional  on  resilience  and  sustainability  criteria  to  be 
proposed under the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act in Q4 2025. The Commission will 
also assess whether such criteria could also be applied in private procurement. Such an approach 
is also essential in view of the increasing demand for vehicle components from the defence sector, 
where a stable and secure supply of critical parts is essential. Increasing the European production 
of vehicle components should also reduce the risk of potential security vulnerabilities, ensuring 
the integrity of critical systems. For economic security reasons, this will also be important for e-
powertrain components as well as other key components for connected and automated vehicles. 

14 

 
 
 
 
Flagship Actions:  

Comprehensive “Battery Booster” Package: support for battery manufacturing under Innovation 
Fund, exploring EU direct production support to companies producing batteries in the EU possibly 
combined  with  state  aid,  non-price  criteria,  European  content  requirements,  in  line  with  the 
Union’s international legal commitments. 

Facilitate joint private sector investments into the upstream value chain. 

Other Actions: 

Rapid finalization of Co-Decision on the End-of-Life of Vehicles Regulation. 

Look into financing support for end-of-life vehicles and battery recycling facilities. 

Further support to enhance recycling. 

Resilience and sustainability criteria for key vehicle components. 

2.4 Skills and social dimension  

Recent  production  and  demand  shifts  in  the  global  economy,  as  well  as  economic  shocks  and 
geopolitical  risks  and  uncertainties  significantly  impacted  employment  in  the  EU  automotive 
sector.  Further  job  losses  are  expected  in  the  coming  years.  Furthermore,  skills  shortages  and 
mismatches in the auto industry are a major concern, together with the ageing workforce and a 
pressing need to train and attract new profiles of workers with adequate skills. Social partners play 
a central role in anticipating and managing change and collective bargaining agreements can bring 
solutions to the employment and social consequences of the challenges the automotive sector is 
facing.  

There are currently several initiatives at EU level that can address these issues, notably funding 
from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European  Globalisation Fund (EGF). The 
initiatives on skills development, such as the Pact for Skills and the Automotive Skills Alliance, 
prepare workers during the ongoing deep transitions. But more is needed.  

The Commission will set up a European Fair Transition Observatory to develop and collate 
relevant data, including projecting employment trends across the European automotive value chain 
and  at  sectoral  and  regional  levels.  Combined  with  data  on  the  demographic  structure  of  the 
workforce, this will allow to pinpoint expected future “hot spots” of employment dislocations and 
inform forward-looking interventions to address them.  

To ensure better support for workers affected by the transitions, the Commission will propose in 
spring 2025 a targeted amendment to the EGF Regulation to make it faster and broader. The 
scope  of  EGF  will  be  extended  to  support  companies  in  restructuring  processes  to  protect 
employees against the risk of unemployment. This may lead to an earlier mobilisation of available 
funds. In parallel, the Commission is preparing, in consultation with social partners, a Quality Jobs 
Roadmap to be published towards the end of the year. 

To help Member States and sectoral partners make even better use of the opportunities offered by 
the ESF+, the Commission will actively engage with social partners and with Member States to 
draw attention to the opportunities offered by ESF+, and to bring actors together. This will include 
support for workers looking for job opportunities in areas other than the automotive sector and 

15 

 
 
 
seek  reskilling.  In  addition,  the  mid-term  review  of  ESF+  will  be  used  to  incentivise  Member 
States to reprogramme more money for the automotive sector, including through a possible change 
to the ESF+ Regulation. 

Aligned  with  the  Union  of  Skills,  the  framework  for  sectoral  skills  initiatives  in  strategic 
industries that enable the Clean Industrial Deal will be reinforced. In 2026, targeted support 
through Erasmus+ grants of up to EUR 90 million will be made available for the relevant Large-
Scale Skills Partnerships, including the Automotive Large-Scale Skills Partnership under the Pact 
for Skills.  

Flagship Actions: 

European Fair Transition Observatory. 

Legal amendments to EGF and ESF+ Regulations. 

2.5 Boosting  our  market  access,  ensuring  a  level  playing  field  and  guaranteeing  our 

economic security 

The automotive industry is a global business. Exports, imports and investments play a key role for 
the EU industry’s competitiveness. Overseas market access, a level playing field vis-à-vis overseas 
competitors, and a fit-for-purpose business and regulatory environment is critical for the industry’s 
success. Towards this end, the EU will pursue several priority actions specific to the automotive 
sector. 

Diversifying sourcing and securing access to third-country markets and enhancing economic 
security 

The  Commission  is  determined  to  pursue  its  Free  Trade  Agreements  and  mutually  beneficial 
international partnerships to enhance market access and sourcing opportunities, notably for critical 
materials for the European automotive industry. The Commission will evaluate the effectiveness 
of car-relevant disciplines in trade agreements and, where necessary, engage with trading partners 
to further pursue regulatory convergence based on international standards. The Commission will 
use all possibilities, together with stakeholders, to better support the sector through other forms of 
engagement,  such  as  Mutual  Recognition  Agreements,  Critical  Raw  Materials  Strategic 
Partnerships or Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships. As recommended in the Draghi Report, 
the Commission will continue promoting the harmonisation of technical vehicle regulations on 
global level (UNECE) and in bilateral trade agreements.  

Level playing field package  

The  Commission  will  ensure  continued  improvements  to  the  level  playing  field  through  a 
strengthened toolbox, consisting of the following elements. 

Rules of Origin  

Preferential rules of origin determine the conditions for products to benefit from zero or reduced 
duty  rate  in  trade  agreements  and  in  autonomous  preferential  regimes.  They  intend  to  strike  a 
balance between exporting and importing objectives, also to be analysed in terms of supply chain 
cumulation. The Commission will engage with the industry and Member States on the approach 

16 

 
 
 
applied to preferential rules of origin to ensure that they contribute and support the long-term 
competitiveness of the EU automotive sector. 

The Commission will look into defining specific rules of origin in trade defence measures for 
the EVs ecosystem as a tool to discourage players engaged in unfair practices from establishing 
facilities  in  third  countries  and  especially  in  countries  enjoying  preferential  access  in  the  EU 
market.   

Trade defence instruments 

The  Commission  imposed  countervailing  duties  against  Chinese  electric  vehicle  imports  to 
address unfair trading practices and remains ready to launch an anti-circumvention investigation 
if it receives sufficient evidence of circumventing practices undermining the effectiveness of the 
measure. In addition, the Commission remains open to continue its engagement with individual 
producers on price undertakings for the countervailing measures on battery electric vehicles from 
China, in accordance with the basic Anti-subsidy Regulation.  

The  Commission  is  equally  committed  to  make  use  of  Trade  Defence  Instruments  and  the 
Foreign  Subsidies  Regulation  to  investigate  unfair  practices  further  up  the  supply  chain, 
including in the batteries and parts segment where necessary.  

Strengthen the contribution of foreign investments to European competitiveness  

The Commission will work to ensure that foreign investments in the automotive sector provide a 
stronger contribution to the long-term competitiveness of EU industry, its technological edge and 
economic resilience, and the creation of quality jobs in the EU. Accordingly,  the Commission 
will propose, in cooperation with Member States and the industry, conditions for inbound 
foreign investments in the automotive sector  to further increase their added value for the 
EU. The conditions could include, for example, joint venture requirements, senior management 
requirements, facilitating agreements that support the needs of EU industry (such as off-take or 
license  services  and  royalty  agreements  with  foreign  partners),  licensing  of  technology  or 
intellectual property, commitments to supply critical inputs. One of the priority areas for this will 
be the battery supply chain.   

While work on foreign investments is ongoing, the Commission and Member States will ensure 
that foreign direct investments are used to create added value in Europe, especially when public 
financing is involved, and require clear conditions that help close the gap in production know-how 
and expertise, including via effective mechanisms for IP and skills transfer as well as EU-based 
staff recruitment and local supply chains. 

Simplification package 

The existing regulatory framework brings predictability and helps to achieve our shared public 
policy objectives. It should, however, not put undue burden and costs on the industry, in particular 
for SMEs in the supply chain and the aftermarket. In the context of the regulatory simplification 
agenda,  the  Commission  in  consultation  with  stakeholders  will  take  action  on  a  regulatory 
simplification package for the automotive industry, by improving coherence and consistency 
between different regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the Commission is committed to give, 
when making new legislative proposals, sufficient lead time for the industry to reflect these new 
regulatory requirements for motor vehicles in the product development process. An evaluation of 

17 

 
 
the  regulation  on  the  approval  and  market  surveillance  of  motor  vehicles  (i.e.  type-approval 
legislation) in 2026 will have a particular focus on the simplification potential.  

The enforcement of the regulatory framework for motor vehicles is important to ensure a level 
playing  field  and  avoid  circumvention  of  the  applicable  EU  rules  across  the  board.  This  is 
primarily a responsibility for national type-approval authorities, but the Commission will work 
with  Member  States  to  address  potential  gaps  in  the  regulatory  framework,  e.g.  in  individual 
vehicle approval schemes.   

Flagship Actions: 

Explore conditions for inbound foreign investments in the automotive sector, including when 
public funding is involved. 

Regulatory simplification. 

Other Actions: 

Continue to pursue FTA and mutually beneficial international partnerships negotiations to 
enhance market access and sourcing opportunities for the EU automotive industry. 

Develop further cooperation through Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships and Strategic 
Partnerships to secure better access to battery minerals. 

Engage with the industry and Member States on the approach applied to preferential rules of 
origin in the context of FTAs 

Look into defining specific rules of origin in trade defence measures for the EVs ecosystem.  

Monitor the application of the anti-subsidy measure addressing the Chinese electric vehicle 
imports and undertake an anti-circumvention investigation when warranted. 

Make use of the Trade Defence Instruments and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation to address 
unfair practices in the batteries segment and part segments where necessary. 

3. 

Conclusion – next steps 

The Commission will inform the European Parliament and the Council about this Action Plan and 
the actions proposed and calls on them to enable a swift implementation of targeted amendments 
proposed. 

This Action Plan is based on valuable input gathered from companies in the automotive sector, 
business associations and civil society representatives and researchers during the dialogues and 
roundtables, as well as the open public consultation6. Careful monitoring and swift implementation 
of the measures proposed is now of the utmost importance. The Commission will continue to work 
with  stakeholders  by  convening  regular  dialogues,  with  a  view  to  have  an  exchange  on  the 
implementation of the short- and mid-term measures that are outlined in the plan, and to collect 
feedback and information on recent developments in the market.  

6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14487-Future-of-the-European-
automotive-industry/public-consultation_en. 

18