The European Commission and Germany have reached an agreement to unblock a key text of the EU’s climate plan on CO2 emissions from cars, by relaxing theban on combustion engines after 2035.
On March 25, 2023, the European Commission and Germany announced an agreement that unlocked a key piece of text in the EU’s climate plan on CO2 emissions from cars. Berlin had blocked a regulation to reduce the CO2 emissions of new vehicles to zero. The two parties have found common ground to relax the ban on internal combustion engines after 2035. This decision is a victory for German and Italian high-end manufacturers, who can extend the use of combustion engines beyond 2035.
Germany had called for the Commission to present a proposal that would pave the way for vehicles running on synthetic fuels. This technology, still under development, would consist of producing fuel from CO2 resulting from industrial activities. However, environmental NGOs consider this technology to be expensive, energy-intensive and polluting. Indeed, synthetic fuels will only be relevant for a few luxury cars such as Porsche 911s or Ferraris, due to their cost.
The regulation on CO2 emissions from cars will be submitted to the ambassadors of the 27 member countries on Monday in Brussels for final adoption at a meeting of energy ministers on Tuesday. The president of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, Pascal Canfin, said that the text was unchanged and that the rule of 100% zero-emission cars by 2035 was maintained. He assured that he would be vigilant on the respect of the “climate neutrality” of the thermal engines which will be authorized.
