European Commission proposes easing 2035 ban on petrol and diesel cars
The European Commission has proposed easing the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Under the revised proposal, carmakers would be required to cut average emissions by 90 per cent rather than 100 per cent by that date, with the remaining 10 per cent to be offset.
The phase-out of internal combustion engine vehicles was one of the flagship measures of the European Green Deal adopted during the previous legislature, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. Since the new Commission took office earlier this year, however, several climate measures have been delayed or softened in response to pressure from European industry.
Following lobbying by manufacturers and large member states such as Germany and Italy, the Commission wants to allow carmakers to meet the 2035 target partly through offsets, including the use of low-carbon steel, e-fuels and biofuels. This would allow technologies such as plug-in hybrids and some internal combustion engine vehicles to remain on the market beyond 2035.
Leeway for companies
The proposal also gives manufacturers greater flexibility in meeting interim emission targets. Compliance with emissions standards by 2030 would be assessed over a three-year period, extending to 2032.
For vans, the planned emissions reduction target for 2030 would be lowered from 50 to 40 per cent. The package also aims to reduce administrative burdens, which should save carmakers around 700 million euros per year.
To support the transition to a cleaner vehicle fleet, the Commission also plans measures to encourage the production of small, affordable electric cars in Europe. Other proposals include interest-free loans for battery manufacturers and binding national targets to green commercial vehicle fleets, an area where Belgium is seen as a frontrunner.
The Commission insists that the changes do not undermine the EU’s climate ambitions. "We maintain the predictability of investments in the electricity sector, reduce emissions and stay on track to be climate neutral by 2050," Climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said.
Support not guaranteed
The proposals still need approval from the European Parliament. The conservative European People’s Party, the largest group in Parliament, has lobbied strongly in favour of relaxing the ban, so a majority for the proposal appears within reach.
The plan must also secure a qualified majority among member states, representing at least 65 per cent of the EU population. That could prove more complicated, as several large member states, including France and Spain, have expressed their opposition to easing the ban in the past.
Belgium has no official stance for the time being. While Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele expressed his support for upholding the ban earlier this year, for the EU, only the federal government's opinion counts.
© PHOTO MARIJAN MURAT / DPA / AFP
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