German Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (Greens) applauded the European Commission’s (EC) decision to open a subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, noting that appropriate action would be taken if the investigation found egregious violations of the law governing competition.

It’s not about keeping inexpensive, effective cars from entering the European market, according to Habeck. The minister said, « We must of course take action, » adding that this would happen if the EC’s inquiry found serious violations of the law governing competition.

In her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EC had begun an investigation into subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles. She claimed that cheap Chinese electric vehicles are overrunning international markets. « And government subsidies have artificially lowered their pricing. Our markets are distorted as a result, » von der Leyen emphasized.

source: dw.de