Written by Contexte
19 February 2026
A Green MEP, Gabriel HAUTDIDIER, is pushing to preserve the Commission’s proposal on corporate fleets, arguing that it must remain ambitious to secure Europe’s industrial future and avoid long-term dependency on foreign supply chains.
Briefing about the interview
At the European Parliament, the debate over corporate fleets has become far more than an environmental discussion. Behind percentage targets and transition timelines lies a broader strategic question: Europe’s industrial position vis-à-vis China.
In his view, the proposal is not a punitive constraint on companies, but a tool to create demand and secure investment in decarbonised technologies. Without a strong regulatory signal, he argues, industry will lack both the visibility and the incentive needed to invest at scale. The measure is therefore framed as an industrial strategy instrument rather than a purely climate-driven obligation.
From this perspective, if the level of ambition were weakened to the point that the overall trajectory became incoherent with long-term climate objectives, a withdrawal by the Commission could become an option. This is not presented as likely, but as conceivable in the event of excessive dilution.
Catching up with China is widely seen as difficult. However, the greater risk, he contends, would be to slow down. “If we brake today, the gap will widen,” he says, insisting that the transition will have to happen sooner or later — with or without a European industrial base.
More contexte ?
The political variable remains uncertain. The position of the European People’s Party has not yet been clearly defined, and negotiations are expected to shape the final balance. The core of the debate is not whether the transition should happen, but how fast — and how much ambition the European Union is prepared to sustain.
In short, the issue is not only environmental; it is strategic and industrial. The real tension will revolve around the precise level of quantified ambition and the capacity to hold together a workable parliamentary coalition under pressure.