Europe’s GreenTech industry has just headed down a dangerous path. A new transatlantic trade deal is causing dismay in Brussels, Berlin, and Europe’s GreenTech sector.

By Jan Nintemann and Jochen Siegle, Photo: Mika Baumeister, Unsplash

What is being sold to us Europeans as a strategic partnership is in reality a slap in the face for Europe’s energy transition – and for all those working here on a sustainable, sovereign future.

Let’s take a moment to consider the key points of the deal:

• 750 billion Euros for US gas and oil – instead of investing in our own energy sovereignty
• 600 billion Euros in capital outflow to the USA – while Europe urgently needs to finance green infrastructure
• Punitive tariffs of up to 50% on key European industries like steel and aluminum
• 15% tariffs on European exports, including in the Cleantech and renewable technologies sector
• At the same time: 0% tariffs on many US products, including agricultural products, semiconductors, and aircraft

What looks like a trade agreement here is in reality a unilateral market opening in favor of the USA – with massive disadvantages for Europe’s future industries.

A Missed Opportunity for Europe’s Green Deal

Fewer market opportunities, more dependence, and a dangerous relapse into fossil investment structures: The “deal” could not more clearly illustrate the disconnect between politics and reality.

While Europe’s GreenTech ecosystem, with initiatives like the Net-Zero Industry Act, the European Battery Alliance, or regional hydrogen strategies, attempts to create new leading industrial markets, at the same moment, capital is being diverted into fossil structures outside Europe.

The much-invoked “strategic autonomy” thus remains wishful thinking – especially in the sectors where Europe could actually be a leader: circular economy, climate-neutral production, smart energy infrastructure, green digitalization.

Competitive Disadvantages for European Cleantech Companies

The introduction of tariffs on European Cleantech exports undermines all efforts to position Europe as a global provider of green technologies. Even today, many startups and SMEs in the GreenTech sector are struggling with:

• higher energy and production costs
• regulatory uncertainty
• lack of scaling capacity
• and lack of capital compared to the generous subsidies of the US Inflation Reduction Act

Now they are additionally burdened with new export barriers, while at the same time the European market is being opened for US products.

What We Need Now: European Industrial Policy with Conviction

Anyone who wants to promote GreenTech in Europe today needs more than flagship projects, pilot projects, and summits. We need a coherent industrial policy that integrates climate, capital, and market considerations. This includes:

• resilient supply chains and fair trade agreements
• investment protection for European future industries
• public procurement as a lever for GreenTech scaling
• strategic promotion of Green AI, hydrogen, e-mobility, and energy storage

The reality currently looks different: We are not only losing markets, but also confidence in our own ability to shape the future.

Conclusion: without a Course Correction, Europe Risks Losing Control

The current decision is more than a bad deal – it sends a fatal signal to young companies, researchers, municipalities, and citizens who are committed to a climate-neutral Europe. It shows: Those who are building the future currently lack real support.

TransformIT Europe stands for a different Europe – a Europe that understands technology, transformation, and climate protection as an economic opportunity. Now, courageous political decisions are needed to finally bring this vision to life.

Sources:

https://taz.de/FAQ-zum-Deal-zwischen-Trump-und-der-EU/!6101597