EU member state ministers are this week considering the European bill to curb the sale of CO2-emitting cars by 2035. However, it is uncertain whether all EU member states will back the plan. Both Germany and Italy appear to be opposed.
The European Union (EU) wants to allow only the sale of new cars with zero CO2 emissions from 2035. This should make a major contribution to making the EU and its car fleet more sustainable. The legislation targets large car manufacturers; manufacturers producing less than 1,000 passenger cars annually are exempt.
The sales ban on CO2-emitting passenger vehicles will only affect new vehicles, by the way. Used passenger vehicles with petrol or diesel engines will still be allowed to change hands after 2035.
Resistance in Germany and Italy
The European Parliament and the EU Member States had already reached an agreement on the legislative proposal in October 2022. This agreement was approved by the European Parliament in February 2023. Ministers from all EU Member States will give their views on the plan on 7 March. However, it is unclear whether they will actually back the legislative proposal; both Germany and Italy appear to be opposed to the plans, reports Automotive News.
Both countries favour alternative plans. For example, Germany wants the European Commission to come up with a bill that would allow the sale of cars with combustion engines running on CO2-neutral fuel beyond 2035. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing pointed out last week that the European Commission has not yet come up with such a proposal. Germany does not want to give final approval to the plans in their current form.
Also resistance in Italy
There is also resistance in Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also in favour of allowing cleaner fuels after 2035 as well. Meloni sees such fuels as an opportunity to achieve a green transition in the EU, with no economic impact on Europeans.
Besides Italy, Poland and Hungary are also said to have objections to the plans.
Five EU member states came up with counter-proposal earlier
Opposition to the plans, incidentally, if less than in the past. In June 2022, five EU member states appeared to be in favour of postponing the ban until 2040, Reuters reported. At the time, these were Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia.
These EU member states came up with a counter-proposal. In it, they argued for a 90% CO2 reduction for passenger cars by 2035. In practice, this would mean that a limited number of combustion-engined passenger cars could still be sold in 2035. EU member states then want to move on to a complete ban on the sale of CO2-emitting passenger cars in 2040.
Countries additionally called for a delay for light commercial vehicles, which included vans. The European Commission also wants to curb the sale of CO2-emitting light commercial vehicles by 2035. However, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia argued for an 80% CO2 reduction by that year.
More charging structure needed and differences in purchasing power
Among the reasons given by the countries for the delay are the available charging infrastructure. This would have to be increased first. The Netherlands is well ahead of other countries in this respect; figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association show that an estimated 70% of all charging stations are in the Netherlands, Germany and France. However, there are also differences in purchasing power in EU member states.
The European sales ban on CO2-emitting passenger cars plays an important role in achieving the EU's climate goals. An EU spokesperson told Automotive News, calling a transition to zero-emission vehicles "absolutely necessary" to achieve the EU's goal of a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by the end of this decade.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source photo: Pixabay / Paul Brennan
