According to EPP parliamentary group leader Manfred Weber (CSU/EVP/53), the EU Commission wants to overturn the so-called combustion engine phase-out. “For new registrations from 2035 onwards, a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions should now be mandatory for the automobile manufacturers’ fleet targets instead of 100 percent,” the “Bild” newspaper quoted the EPP chairman as saying on Thursday. According to Weber, there will be no 100 percent target from 2040 onwards either.
The EU Commission initially did not want to comment on the report when asked. If the European Parliament and the EU states also agree to the plan as Weber describes it, the so-called combustion engine shutdown would be off the table. Representatives of the EU states and the European Parliament had actually decided that new cars in the EU would no longer be allowed to emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) during operation from 2035.
This would actually mean that new cars with combustion engines would no longer be allowed to be registered in around ten years. The aim is to reduce emissions in the transport sector. After pressure from industry and member states, the EU Commission then announced that it wanted to review the regulation on the end of combustion engines.
The Brussels authority wants to present proposals for possible changes to the CO2 regulations next week. Further measures such as a battery strategy and proposals for more environmentally friendly company cars may also be presented.