The European Commission has presented the Clean Industrial Deal, a package designed to strengthen industry and simultaneously promote the green transformation. From the perspective of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), this is an important step. Much of it sounds promising – but whether the CID will ultimately be effective depends on the details. It's exactly here that practicality for companies and the removal of barriers become crucial.
Key Takeaways at a Glance
- The Clean Industrial Deal provides important impulses to combine climate protection and competitiveness.
- High energy prices remain a major challenge – reliable and affordable energy is key to driving investments.
- The circular economy offers opportunities but requires open and practical regulatory frameworks.
- SMEs play a pivotal role and need simple, non-bureaucratic access to funding and support.
- Transformation can only succeed with a holistic, business-oriented approach that fully considers value chains and site conditions.
Assessing the Clean Industrial Deal
The European Commission intends to bring together several previously separate topics with the CID: climate protection, circular economy, energy supply, competitiveness, and location policy. The goal is to economically secure the Green Deal while simultaneously accelerating industrial transformation.
Companies in Germany, however, emphasise that competitiveness is already noticeably suffering from high energy prices, regulatory uncertainty, and slow planning processes. From their perspective, the CID can send an important signal — if it focuses on practical solutions.
Energy and Costs: A Key for Investments
High energy and production costs remain one of the biggest obstacles for Europe as a business location. The CID addresses this issue by better interlinking energy supply, grid expansion, and the expansion of renewable energies.
From the economy's perspective, it is crucial that energy remains available at competitive prices in the long term, and funding instruments are designed to provide companies with planning security.
Circular Economy: Opportunities and Limits
The EU considers the transition to a more circular industry a central component in securing supply, resource availability, and competitiveness. Recycling and reuse are to be significantly increased.
The DIHK supports this direction but emphasises: For many sectors, technology-open approaches, modern infrastructure, and market-based incentives are necessary – instead of detailed individual specifications or granular regulation.
SMEs as the Backbone of Transformation
The Clean Industrial Deal explicitly highlights the benefits that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should gain from funding programs, advisory offers, and new regulations. The motto "Think small first" is underlined.
From DIHK's perspective, this is crucial: Many SMEs have fewer resources during the transformation process and need easy access, manageable requirements, and practical support.
A Holistic Approach is Determinative
The DIHK emphasises that measures for decarbonisation and industrial transformation are only effective if they are thought through across the entire value chain. Reliable energy and resource supply, efficient infrastructure, and fast planning procedures, as well as innovation and technology promotion, are part of this. Questions of financing, the availability of qualified specialists, and competitive frameworks in international comparison also play a central role.
Only when all these factors are considered together can the Clean Industrial Deal actually have an impact on the economy.
- Relevant in topic:
- Energie
- Key areas:
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- Klima
- Industrie
- Kreislaufwirtschaft
Released 22.04.2025
Modified 25.02.2026
Contact
Thorben Petri
Director European Economic Policy