In June of this year, the last planned car summit of the federal government was cancelled after harsh criticism from civil society, politics and academia. Tomorrow, 8 September 2020, a meeting of representatives from politics, the automotive industry, works councils and IG Metall will nevertheless take place as part of the “Concentrated Mobility Action”.
Although the German car industry and its situation during the coronavirus crisis also play a role for the future of mobility, representatives from environmental and consumer protection associations and other transport sectors would also have to be involved in such meetings in order to be able to actually call such a meeting ‘Concentrated Action Mobility’. The privileged nature of the car lobby contrasts with a real mobility summit, which should aim at a transport and innovation policy geared towards the common good. Decisions taken at a car-only summit cannot meet the requirements of balance and transparency.
We therefore appeal to the Federal Government, together with LobbyControl and six other organisations and alliances, not to let the car summit take place in this form, but to convene a mobility summit that deserves this name. If we want to achieve sustainable and equitable mobility in the future, we must ensure balanced participation in transport policy and end the special position of the car lobby in transport policy.
