Climate taz
Moving away from the end of combustion engines: more lax climate rules overcome the next hurdle
The European centrist factions had negotiated heavily watered down CO2 rules for combustion cars. Now the Environment Committee has also given its nod. more...
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afp | The plans to move away from the so-called combustion engine phase-out have cleared the next hurdle in the European Parliament. The MPs in the Environment Committee voted on Wednesday to relax the rules for car manufacturers, but want to introduce some requirements for the steel used. In doing so, they confirmed a compromise that the centrist factions had reached in October.
The ban on the sale of new combustion engines is based on the European fleet limits, which determine how much carbon dioxide (CO2) a car manufacturer's new cars can emit on average annually. In 2035, these limits should actually fall to zero, and in fact no new cars with combustion engines will then be allowed to be registered. Older vehicles are not affected.
Following pressure from industry, the EU Commission suggested last December that the rules should be relaxed so that new cars with combustion engines can still come onto the market after 2035. Negotiations are now underway in both the European Parliament and the Council of the 27 EU countries.
The parliamentary mandate should now look like this: The CO2 limit values should fall by a maximum of 95 percent compared to 2021 instead of zero. If manufacturers use green steel - i.e. steel produced with less fossil energy - their individual limit value drops even further, to up to 87.5 percent compared to 2021. The draft will go to the parliamentary plenary session in December.
In the Council of Member States, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron also negotiated a preliminary compromise. They want to reduce the limits for all car manufacturers by 90 percent compared to 2021. The Council is also expected to officially determine its position in December, after which member states and parliament will have to work out a final compromise.
In addition to the limit values for 2035, it is also about advantages for electric cars from Europe, the CO2 emissions of plug-in hybrids, biofuels and e-fuels as well as relaxations for an interim target for 2030. But the basic line is clear: the signs point to a move away from combustion engines.