Brussels rectifies and now proposes that new combustion cars can continue to be sold beyond 2035

The European Commission proposed this Tuesday definitively end the ban on the sale of combustion cars in 2035so cars of this type can continue to be sold beyond that date. The Community Executive thus gives in to the pressure exerted above all by Germany and to the protests of the automotive industry. It is the main measure of the omnibus package on the automobile presented in Strasbourg. The objective of cutting emissions will now be 90% by that date, so the other 10% can be maintained from 2035, which was the goal that Brussels initially proposed. Of course, compensatory measures will be necessary.

Spain has already anticipated that it does not agree with this step. “We believe that we must continue with that ‘roadmap’ that was drawn up with the end of the commercialization of combustion vehicles in the year 2035,” also commented this Tuesday the third vice president and Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, within the framework of the meeting in Brussels of ministers of the sector. He sees this restriction as compatible, he said, with “offering clear signals” to the industry in the face of uncertainty. global and recalled that cars represent 15% of emissions throughout the EU, which is why he has called for “responsibility” in the fight against climate change.

Community sources confirmed, yes, that this change does not mean that the goal of climate neutrality will not be achievedbecause any residual emissions will have to be offset by using the so-called carbon credits that the EU is now introducing. Credits can be obtained by using sustainable renewable fuels or by using low carbon steel made in the EU.

On the other hand, light vehicles, that is, The vans will have to meet a 40% emissions reduction target. According to sources, this is a segment that is a little further behind in the development of zero-emission vehicles. In this case, a period of three years is given, with flexibility so that they can comply, between 2030 and 2032, as Brussels has confirmed.

For example, one who has celebrated this turn is the leader of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber. “My plan was clear: I want to stop populism in Europe, I want to fight against populism in Europe and I want to remove the populists’ reasons for attacking Europe. And, once again, the idea of ​​​​banning technologies is one of those points of attack. We saw it in the Czech elections, where an automobile party was elected to Parliament,” he summarized from Strasbourg; he sees this new approach as “reasonable” and with a successful “economic perspective” for the industry.

On the other hand, the European Commission is also considering promoting “small and affordable electric cars” so that their purchase can be made easier throughout the EU. “It would bring simplification for companies, would reinforce the economic viability of manufacturing small electric vehicles affordable in a profitable way in Europe and would reduce the price for consumers,” they explain in the document presented this Tuesday, which follows the guidelines already set by President Ursula von der Leyen in September of this same year.

In this sense, a new provision is introduced so that small electric cars, which are manufactured in the EU, receive supercredits for their development, the Community Executive explains. It is a regulatory tool, they say, that helps manufacturers and, therefore, It also drives the development of small and affordable vehicles on the marketbecause that is where the EU is still lagging behind; The Commission considers that the mass vehicle market is moving in that direction.

The boost to the industry, they say, also falls within the package. Thus, with 1.8 billion euros, the so-called Battery Booster will accelerate development of a value chain of batteries manufactured entirely in the EU. Of the total, 1.5 billion euros will be allocated “to support European battery cell producers through interest-free loans.” Likewise, the Community Executive insists on reducing bureaucracy: companies are expected to save approximately 706 million euros per year, which will increase administrative savings thanks to all the packages of measures and simplification initiatives that the Commission has presented so far to about 14.3 billion euros per year, they explain from Brussels.

Among other things, the European Commission proposes to reduce the number of secondary law acts to be adopted in the coming years and streamline testing for new vans and passenger vehicles. This will reduce costs, while maintaining the highest levels of environmental protection and safety. The implementation of electric vans in national transport is supported by measures that equate them to internal combustion vans with regard to rest times and the rules applicable to drivers, the statement concludes.

Commission sources from Brussels They consider that these changes provide certainty and predictability in the long term for the investor throughout the zero emissions value chain, while offering some flexibilities to manufacturers in the way in which they can meet the objective of technological neutrality without forgetting climate neutrality, which, although now a blurred objective, has been one of the great goals since Ursula von der Leyen assumed the leadership of the Community Executive in 2019.

“This package will be a lifeline for the European car industry. We are using all the resources at our disposal: simplification, flexibility, European preference, specific support and innovation“, reacted the Vice President of the European Commission, Stephane Sejourné, in the same line as President Von der Leyen: “As technology rapidly transforms mobility and geopolitics reshapes global competition, Europe remains at the forefront of the clean transition globally.”