BERLIN / BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) – The EU wants to arm the European economy for a possible second corona wave. It is important to avoid “that, as a result of the increasing number of infections, the economic upswing in Europe is impaired and endangered,” said Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier on Friday in Berlin before informal video consultations with the EU ministers for industry and the internal market. That is a great responsibility.
In addition, the ministers wanted to discuss the experiences from “the great first wave of the pandemic in spring”, announced the CDU politician. It is important to avoid “damage and mistakes” as in the first half of the year. “The pandemic is back in most of our countries,” said Altmaier. Regions and capitals are increasingly classified as risk areas, and this also applies to the EU headquarters in Brussels. In Germany, too, the number of infections has risen, six-fold compared to the low in July, the minister said.
Altmaier said the conference is also about how climate protection can be reconciled with economic growth and healthy economic development. The ambitious “Green Deal” and the EU Commission’s climate goals of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions could only be achieved if climate protection, business and industry worked in concert, he emphasized. Competition law issues such as protectionism will also be discussed at the video conference. He hoped for concrete conclusions on individual questions, said Altmaier./bvi/DP/eas
