Committees in the EU Parliament vote on the combustion engine compromise

Votes in the EU Parliament Does the combustion engine compromise hold? As of: October 22, 2026 • 5:05 a.m

After the negotiators agreed to move away from the "combustion engine phase-out", committees in the EU Parliament are now dealing with this. The votes will show whether the compromise holds.

There are truly nicer places to spend an evening in Strasbourg. A group of EU MPs were not granted this on Monday. At around 6 p.m. they take their seats in Hall WEISS N 3.3 of the Parliament. The hearing doesn't end until around three o'clock. CDU politician Jens Gieseke says: "I wasn't prepared for that at all. Luckily I was able to steal a few nuts from a Social Democratic colleague."

The result of the night: Some see the “burner ban” now finally overturned. Critics fear “chaos” for the auto industry.

The political groups in the EU Parliament are working on a compromise to phase out combustion engines for new cars. more

What had happened? The negotiators from Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals have found a common position on the question: How much of a future do cars with combustion engines have in the EU? What remains of the original decision that no new car will be allowed to be registered after 2035 if CO2 comes out of the exhaust?

It is an extremely charged discussion for many. There was a lot of pressure, particularly from Germany, to weaken the previous decision. But for a long time there was no agreement in sight either in the EU Parliament or in the member states.

That is likely to change after the negotiators' deal. Votes in two committees today will show whether the compromise holds.

The goal in Europe should remain the switch to electric cars. The final vote in the EU Parliament is still pending. more

In the past few days, a German-French paper has created new dynamics on the question of whether new combustion engines will be allowed to be permitted on European roads in nine years. The federal government agreed on a common position with France: Paris gave up its resistance to the combustion engine.

Manufacturers would therefore only have to reduce their average emissions by 90 percent from 2035 without compensating for the remaining 10 percent. In return, Berlin will comply with “Made in Europe” requirements for state funding for cars. On Friday, Chancellor Merz announced: "The end of combustion engines will then be history."

What does a relaxation of the ban on combustion engines mean for the automotive supply industry? L. Bisch/P. Jens, SWR, tagesthemen, Das Erste, October 21, 2026 • 10:15 p.m. The agreement in the EU Parliament between the European People's Party, S&D and Renew remains somewhat more ambitious than the German-French paper. Compared to the comparable year 2021, new cars would no longer have to save 100 percent, but only 95 percent, CO2. A further 7.5 percentage points less should be possible if climate-friendly steel “Made in Europe” was used in the car.

A devastating mistake for greens and environmental non-governmental organizations. The Baden-Württemberg MEP Michael Bloss (Alliance 90/The Greens) speaks of the champagne corks popping in Beijing because Europe is letting Chinese manufacturers continue to gain ground in the electromobility market.

France and Germany have agreed to soften the ban on combustion engines. more

In recent months there have been repeated disputes between the parties of the so-called platform over the conduct of negotiations by EPP leader Manfred Weber. Both Social Democrats and Liberals accused him of using a vote with far-right parties as a threat. The EPP pushed through important legislative projects such as the supply chain directive and the return regulation with votes from the EKR and the Patriots. Their factions include the Polish PiS, the Italian Fratelli d'Italia and Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National.

The Liberals are not expected to face much resistance to the compromise. However, it is not yet clear how united the Social Democrats will vote. The relationship between Weber and the Spanish S&D parliamentary group leader Irátxe García Pérez is considered to be broken.

There are still hurdles to overcome in parliament on the way to a combustion engine reform. The vote of the lead environmental committee has particular weight. But when the transport and industry committees vote today, it will be an important test. Does the center parties’ deal hold? Or are Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals not as united as their negotiators were at the beginning of the week during the long Strasbourg night?

This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Important votes in the European Parliament on the “burner ban” | Oct 21, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. Das Erste | daily topics | Oct 21, 2026 | 10:15 p.m