"Europe is far from having reached its goals"

What drives you to get involved as an MEP?

Europe is my home. My grandfather came to Germany as a guest worker from southern Italy in the 1960s. Born in 1990, I only know a united Germany in a strong Europe – it was taken for granted. However, the last few years have clearly shown that this is not the case. For me, it is important to protect and preserve our idea of Europe and at the same time develop it further. Because Europe is far from having reached its goals.

What do you think are the biggest challenges that European companies will have to face in the coming years?

The entire European industry is facing change. We as European legislators need to ensure there are clear laws with clear guidelines - only then can companies make their investments with planning certainty. To pursue an effective economic and industrial policy, we need to be able to make strategically smart decisions at the European level. At the same time, we must minimise bureaucracy to speed up planning processes and create space for innovation and entrepreneurship without lowering social standards. Competitiveness must not come at the expense of social cohesion. At present, European industrial policy is mainly determined by ad hoc control of national subsidies. We need to improve the quality of EU rules. I will continue to campaign for the simplification of obstacles to investment, such as lengthy recruitment procedures for foreign skilled labour. To make our economy fit for the future, we need sufficient labour at all skill levels. We must therefore better utilise the potential of domestic and foreign skilled workers and invest in further training. Well-trained and fairly paid, highly productive employees are the core of the future growth model.

How to #PowerUpEurope: How would you like to use your work in the Transport Committee to make Europe an attractive and strong business location again?

The BDI's slogan #PowerUpEurope fits very well with our ambitions for sustainable mobility. A good example of this is the EU charging point regulation (AFIR), which we passed with a large majority in the EU Parliament last year. For the rapid transition to a climate-neutral Europe and to dispel concerns and fears about charging, this law will ensure the provision of fast-charging stations at regular intervals of 60 kilometres on motorways and main roads by 2025. A charging station will be required every 120 kilometres for trucks and buses. We also achieved ambitious targets for the electric and hydrogen charging infrastructure for lorries. This is linked to the expansion of the rail infrastructure and the shift of freight transport to rail. This would lead to less congestion, fewer traffic accidents and more planning security. The targeted promotion of low-emission modes of transport will fundamentally make Europe a more attractive business location for companies looking for sustainable logistics solutions.