Germany is in opposition to the ban on internal combustion engines in the EU. However, as the EU summit is being held this week in Brussels, the EU’s planned ban on new combustion engines from 2035 is not on the agenda. However, discussions between the European Commission and Berlin on their differences are described as “very constructive” by a German official.
Germany’s opposition to the ban on internal combustion engines
Months of negotiations have resulted in an agreement in 2022 between the European Parliament, the Commission and EU member states to require that new cars sold in the EU from 2035 onwards be CO2-free, thus banning the sale of combustion engine cars after that date. However, recently Germany declared its opposition to this measure by wanting to allow sales of new cars with internal combustion engines after this date, if they run on electronic fuels.
The German official stressed that this position was part of the original EU agreement. “There’s nothing negative about the fact that we’re pushing this,” he said. “This is a normal European procedure”.
Topics on the agenda
Topics officially on the summit agenda include support for Ukraine, EU competitiveness and proposals to overhaul electricity market rules. The German official also stressed the importance for the EU to continue to conclude free trade agreements with other regions such as South America’s Mercosur, Kenya, Australia, India and Indonesia, in order to defend free and fair trade and stay ahead in the competition with China.
A discussion with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also expected to focus on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on the countries of the South, particularly on food security.
