The European Union on Thursday reached an agreement on legislation to phase out new CO2-emitting vehicles by 2035, negotiators announced.
Talks between representatives of the European Council, headed by the 27 member states, and the European Parliament got underway on Thursday, underpinning the bloc’s transition to a carbon-neutral future.
“We have just concluded negotiations on CO2 standards for cars,” tweeted French MEP Pascal Canfin, who heads the European Parliament’s Environment Commission.
“Historic (EU) climate decision that finally confirms the target of 100 percent zero-emission vehicles in 2035 with intermediate phases between 2025 and 2030.”
Cars are currently responsible for about 15 percent of all CO2 emissions in the EU, while transport accounts for about a quarter overall.
The agreed text, based on a proposal by the EU executive in July 2021, calls for zero CO2 emissions from new cars in Europe by 2035.
This means a de facto ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, light commercial vehicles and block hybrids by that date in favor of pure electric vehicles.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the agreement as “a crucial milestone in achieving our climate target for 2030”.
An exception applies to “niche” manufacturers or those who produce fewer than 10,000 vehicles per year.
Also referred to as the “Ferrari change” because it will primarily benefit luxury brands, these vehicles will be allowed to be equipped with an internal combustion engine until the end of 2035.
– ‘extensive’ –
BMW boss Oliver Zipse, who is also president of the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), said the decision was “extremely far-reaching”.
“Make no mistake, the European automotive industry is up to the challenge of providing these zero-emission cars and vans,” he said.
But more needs to be done to achieve that goal, Zipse added, such as “an abundance of renewable energy, a seamless private and public charging infrastructure network, and access to raw materials.”
In June, the European Parliament voted in favor of the 2035 driving ban for all vehicles with internal combustion engines.
Conservative MPs and Germany have been reticent about some targets, fearing the costly burden they would impose on EU automakers if they competed against global competitors with looser targets.
Currently, around 12 percent of new cars sold in the European Union are electric vehicles, with consumers turning away from CO2-emitting models due to concerns about energy costs and greener traffic regulations.
Meanwhile, China — the world’s largest auto market — wants at least half of all new cars to be electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen-powered by 2035.
