1. Welcomes the Action Plan for the automotive industry and notes the strategic importance of the automotive industry to the European economy, which represents around 12 million direct and indirect jobs, delivers a sizeable positive contribution to the EU trade balance of some EUR 90 billion (in 2011), attracts the highest private spending on research and innovation (circa EUR 30 billion in 2010), and acts as an essential driver for technological innovation; stresses that an ambitious European industrial policy, with a strong emphasis on local employment and the development of green technologies, is a necessary lever for a job-intensive ...[+++] recovery and for boosting sustainable growth; stresses that the European car industry needs a renewal strategy directed towards more sustainable cars, as part of a greener transport system;

We can expect the European car manufacturers to join forces to an even greater extent when it comes to developing these new technologies, for example, to create affordable, high-performance batteries for electrical cars.

3. Recalls Parliament's resolution of 5 July 2005 on Stimulating Technologies for Sustainable development: An Environmental technologies action Plan for the European Union, emphasising that sufficient demand for bringing innovations to the market can only be created by clear and ambitious environmental policy targets, such as for example the legislation to reduce average CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles to 120g CO2/km by 2012;

9. Developing clean technologies for cars and construction. To support innovation in manufacturing, in particular in the construction industry and the automobile sector which have recently seen demand plummet as a result of the crisis and which also face significant challenges in the transition to the green economy, the Commission proposes to launch 3 major partnerships between the public and private sectors: In the automobile sector, a 'European green cars initiative', involving research on a broad range of technologies and smart ...[+++] energy infrastructures essential to achieve a breakthrough in the use of renewable and non-polluting energy sources, safety and traffic fluidity.

6. Recognises the role of environmental policies as a driver of innovation in market economies where innovation is sparked by exacting requirements; recalls that strict environmental norms have led to EU leadership in many growth sectors and stresses that the EU should endeavour to remain a leader on the market for new technologies and conceptual innovations; therefore also calls on the Commission to further develop methods and scenarios for anticipating developments in the field of environmental technologies;

- To explore new and emerging scientific and technological problems and opportunities, including in particular interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research areas, where European action is appropriate in view of the potential to develop strategic positions at the leading edge of knowledge and in new markets, or to anticipate major issues facing European society.