Twenty-seven MLAs have definitively approved this Monday the controversial regulation, which bans the sale of new gasoline, diesel or hybrid vehicles in the entire European Union from 2035 after Germany intervened. The government of Berlin gave the green light to the government after realizing the exception of vehicles that run only on synthetic fuels (e-fuels), which are climate neutral.
The e-fuels exception was negotiated bilaterally between the Commission between Germany and Ursula von der Leyen for several weeks and was closed last Saturday just after the European Council. The Community Executive has promised to present its proposals on this matter in the autumn. Berlin hopes the process can be concluded by autumn 2024.
Poland and Italy voted against, while Bulgaria abstained (which is equivalent to ‘no’), but they did not obtain a sufficient minority. Although the Government of Giorgia Meloni (even at the last minute) raised similar objections to Berlin, the Executive Community did not act with Rome at any time.
[Alemania logra una excepción para vender coches de combustible sintético en la UE más allá de 2035]
The remaining Member States have confirmed that the regulation on zero-emission vehicles cannot be reopened. “There will be a proposal on the use of synthetic fuels in some vehicles. This is what the Commission has offered to the German Government. And with that, we will put an end to the last minute things and we will continue to move forward as usual. The credibility and commitment of Europe,” thirdly celebrated the vice-president and head of the Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera .
In fact, what violated the most of the European allies is that Germany objected to their objections, since the control has already been confirmed by both governments and the European Parliament. Just before the final adoption was scheduled to take place on April 7th, his allies in Berlin were surprised at the change of state due to the pressure of the liberals in the government of Olaf Scholz.
“We must not weaken the work of the institutions or question the leadership of the EU in climate matters. The regulation is already agreed by all the institutions and it is important to reopen the totally closed text in the period of formal adoption”; it is. The same source believes that the synthetic fuels that Germany defends are “fake science”.
After the approval of the delegates, the regulation which bans the sale of new motion cars from 2035, will be definitively approved by the industry ministers in the meeting held today on Tuesday in Brussels. The control review clause in 2026 and the commissioner of the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, has already said that this institution will be used to verify “without taboos” if the industry is ready.
The Commission’s original proposal to move combustion engines from July 2021. After 15 months, European regulators and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the cessation of combustion vehicles in October last year.
The treaty was ratified by twenty-seven delegates on November 16, 2022, with the only opposition from Poland and Bulgaria abstaining (equivalent to a no). At that time neither Berlin nor Rome said anything. The plenary session of the European Parliament approved the regulation (by 340 votes in favor, 279 against and 21 abstentions) on February 14.
