BRUSSELS/MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - The rollback of the so-called combustion engine ban announced by the EU Commission does not go far enough, according to CSU leader Markus Soder. "This is a very good signal, even if it is only a first step, because just ten percent combustion engines is not enough," the Bavarian Minister-President told the German Press Agency in Munich.
Weber: Commission Proposal Targets 90 Percent Reduction
According to current planning, the EU Commission intends to recommend that new cars with combustion engine technology should continue to be permitted after 2035, as confirmed to the German Press Agency by Commission sources. The proposal still needs to be adopted by the college of EU Commissioners.
According to EPP Group leader and CSU Vice Chairman Manfred Weber, the proposal is about a 90 percent reduction. "For new registrations from 2035 onwards, instead of 100 percent, a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions for the fleet targets of car manufacturers is to become mandatory," he told "Bild" newspaper.
Soder: Parliament Can "Certainly Go Much Further"
Soder emphasized that the EU Parliament could "certainly go much further" in the concrete design of the proposal. "Nevertheless, it is important that the EU is moving. This is, of course, due to Germany's clear position and our consistent stance from Bavaria." After lengthy internal debates, the black-red federal government only agreed on a common line regarding the demanded end to the combustion engine ban a few weeks ago.
Representatives of the EU member states and the European Parliament had actually agreed in 2022 that new cars in the EU should no longer emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) during operation from 2035 onwards. The background is the so-called fleet limits, which originally called for a 100 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from newly registered cars by 2035./had/DP/men
