The text will force new cars to no longer emit any CO2, effectively banning petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles, in favor of all-electric vehicles.
“Broad support” was found among the ambassadors of the 27 member countries in Brussels, announced the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. They accepted that this historic regulation be “put on the agenda” for a Tuesday meeting of energy ministers for formal adoption, the final stage of the legislative process.
The end of an industrial age
This text, which is part of the European objective of carbon neutrality by 2050, marks the end of an industrial era. For more than a century, the Old Continent, cradle of prestigious brands, dominated automotive innovation. At the heart of its know-how were combustion engines considered to be the most efficient in the world.
Berlin had stunned its partners in early March by blocking the regulation when it had already been approved in mid-February by MEPs meeting in plenary, after a green light from member states, including Germany.
The issue of synthetic fuels
To justify its volte-face, extremely rare at this stage of the procedure, Germany had demanded that the Commission present a proposal opening the way to vehicles running on synthetic fuels.
This technology, controversial and still in development, would consist in producing fuel from CO2 resulting from industrial activities. Defended by high-end German and Italian manufacturers, it would extend the use of heat engines after 2035.
The European Commission and Germany announced on Saturday that they had reached an agreement to unblock the text, which remains unchanged. Brussels has simply undertaken to pave the way more clearly for synthetic fuels in a separate proposal which will have to be validated by autumn 2024.
Vehicles equipped with a combustion engine can be registered after 2035 if they only use neutral fuels in terms of CO2 emissions, welcomed German Transport Minister Volker Wissing.
In the opinion of many experts, the technology of synthetic fuels has little chance of imposing itself on the market and would, at best, concern only a minority of luxury vehicles.
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