The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest lawmaker group in the European Parliament, is advocating for adjustments to the European Union’s planned 2035 phase-out of CO2-emitting cars, according to a draft document reviewed by Reuters.
After securing a significant share of seats in the recent European Parliament elections, the EPP, with 188 lawmakers out of 720, is asserting its influence as discussions unfold in Portugal this week on policy priorities for the EU Parliament’s upcoming five-year term.
The draft priorities include a proposal to “revise the rules for CO2 reduction for new cars and vans to allow for the use of alternative zero-emission fuels beyond 2035,” Reuters reported.
Last year, the EU adopted a policy to prohibit the sale of new CO2-emitting cars by 2035, effectively ending the market for new petrol and diesel combustion engine vehicles. However, the European Commission, responding to pressure from Germany, intends to create a legal pathway for the continued sale of new cars powered solely by “e-fuels” – synthetic fuels compatible with combustion engines.
This potential allowance could enable automakers to develop and market a new generation of combustion engine vehicles running exclusively on certified CO2-neutral fuels, equipped with technology to prevent operation on traditional petrol or diesel.
The EPP’s stance on revising the car CO2 policy remains broad in scope, stating a desire to “revise the ban on combustion engines and develop cutting-edge combustion engine technology,” the draft document detailed.
The draft’s progression within the EPP may present a challenge to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President and EPP member, as she navigates Europe’s environmental agenda. Von der Leyen, seeking a second term, relies on EPP support for a parliamentary majority, while balancing opposition from groups like the socialists and democrats, who oppose any dilution of Europe’s climate change policies.
