VDIK opens new office at Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt

Together with Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Imelda Labbé, President of the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK), opened the association’s new premises at Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt.

In his speech, Hirte emphasized that he rejects blanket quotas for corporate fleets with regard to the European Commission’s draft Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). With regard to the planned requirements for green steel and e-fuels, he said it was important to ensure that there were no pseudo-solutions. It is important to reconcile climate protection and economic efficiency and to implement the transformation together with German and international motor vehicle manufacturers. The goal is to make individual mobility sustainable and affordable.

VDIK President Imelda Labbé: “We are increasingly succeeding in getting on the same page with German politicians. In order to strengthen Germany as a business location, it is important that we take a joint stance on European policy decisions. A number of proposals from Brussels are not yet effective in this regard.” Joint efforts are also necessary to make progress on charging infrastructure and electricity costs. “The framework conditions are not yet fully in place,” said Labbé, adding that “the hoped-for boost has not yet materialized,” with reference to the registration figures for January and February.

In recent years and months, the association has increasingly positioned itself in the political arena in order to assert the importance of international motor vehicle manufacturers, who account for almost half of all new registrations in Germany. “With the relocation of its office to Gendarmenmarkt, the VDIK now also enjoys a very high profile among politicians and the public. Its proximity to the Bundestag, the federal ministries that are most important to us, and many relevant associations, in particular the VDA and ZDK, sends the right signal for the VDIK’s political work in Berlin,” said Imelda Labbé.

The modern office and event space at Gendarmenmarkt is ideal for meetings, committee meetings, press conferences, or presentations. The direct view of Gendarmenmarkt with the Schauspielhaus theater, the German Cathedral, and the French Cathedral provides an impressive setting for discussions and exchanges with political decision-makers, VDIK members, and partners from other associations.