Problems involving EU limits on import limits on carbon-intensive  products

ArmInfo.  The Armenian delegation, headed by Vice President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia (UIEA) Nerses Karamanukyan UMBA Vice President, took part in a regional meeting initiated by the  Confederation of Danish Industry in Copenhagen.

As reported by the press service of UIEA, the meeting was also  attended by delegates from the Federation of Employers of Ukraine,  the National Confederation of Moldova and the Business Association of  Georgia.  During the meeting with Deputy Director General of the  Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) Thomas Bostrup, the guests were  introduced to the activities of the organization and the problems  faced by Danish industrialists as a result of recent geopolitical  events. During the meeting with Director of European and  International Relations of the Danish Employers' Association  Christian Misberg-Winberg, a number of programs implemented within  the framework of the EU economic policy and the expected role of  entrepreneurs from participating in it were discussed. It was noted  that Denmark will assume the Presidency of the European Union on 1  June 2025. At this stage, the Confederation of Danish Industry and  other business organisations, in cooperation with the state, are  preparing and prioritising the measures to be taken during its  Presidency.

According to Nerses Karamanukyan, the EU's "green economy" policy, EU  membership strategies, and cooperation proposals were also discussed  during the meetings held within the framework of the forum.   Reference was also made to the programs developed for 2025, aimed at  expanding cross-border cooperation taking into account climate  challenges, promoting sustainable economic growth, achieving common  innovation goals, and developing joint and individual initiatives.

Following the meetings, the four organizations participating in the  regional meeting signed a joint statement on the impact of the carbon  border adjustment mechanism on the private sector. The document  specifically emphasizes that a number of measures taken by the EU  within the framework of the Green Deal, aimed at building a  carbon-free future, impose new rules and stricter requirements on  companies wishing to export goods and services to the EU single  market. To do this, they must be able to track and calculate  greenhouse gas emissions data, as well as reduce the environmental  impact of their products.

Business representatives are concerned that governments do not fully  understand the impact of this legislation on business. The project is  already in pilot mode and, when fully implemented in 2026, will set a  price for carbon-intensive products (cement, aluminum, fertilisers,  iron and steel, hydrogen and electricity) imported into the EU. 

The statement calls on governments to engage in active dialogue with  the EU to understand and mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas  emissions on industry. Capacity-building programmes and financial  support are expected to enable the region's production capacity to  meet EU requirements. It also notes that the EU should consider  transition periods, exemptions or financial assistance for affected  producers in third countries to prevent trade disruptions and  economic losses. The Confederation of Danish Industry will submit a  joint statement to the European Commission.