Germany stops the European ban on the sale of combustion cars by 2035

Germany has stopped dead one of the most ambitious environmental projects of the European Union: the ban on the sale of combustion cars from 2035. Berlin's threats to deny its final approval to a plan that had already been pre-agreed last fall past, but which also generated suspicion in other countries such as Italy, this Friday led the Swedish rotating presidency of the EU, which wanted to validate the pact next Tuesday, to “postpone” sine die what was considered a mere

, the final approval of the Twenty-seven to a text already endorsed two weeks ago by the European Parliament.

The delay deals a blow to Brussels' climate ambitions and its desire to set an example for the rest of the world: the plan to ban, from 2035, the sale of any new car or van that emits CO₂ was the first legislative agreement achieved by Fit for 55, the new European strategy to strengthen the fight against climate change, which seeks for the EU to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 ―compared to 1990 levels― and that achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Its initial approval was hailed by all parties as a “historic” step.

But it is also a personal setback for the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, since it is precisely her native country, Germany, that has caused the blockage in an agreement whose final approval was considered a mere procedure from the moment it was signed. that an “agreement in principle” was reached between representatives of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, with the assistance of the Commission, on 27 October.

Once an agreement is closed in this format, called a trilogue, the formal approval of both the European Parliament and the 27 Member States is considered a mere formality, since it must be limited to signing what has already been hard negotiated by all parties.

Combustion cars, however, have shown that every rule has its exception.

The key is in the demand of at least part of the German Government to achieve an exception in the European norm for those synthetic fuels, also called

, "respectful with the climate".

This option, which has also received the backing of Rome, has long been annoyed with what it describes as a "furious decarbonization policy" from a Brussels that, it says, does not necessarily take into account the efforts, capacities and economic peculiarities of all countries. when setting environmental goals.

The Commission argues that its proposal is limited to enacting a ban on the sale of cars that emit CO₂ from 2035 and that it does not get involved in what technologies are used for this, although it acknowledges that most countries are committed to electric vehicles .

"We are technologically neutral, what we want are cars with zero emissions", the vice-president of the Commission responsible for the Green Pact, Frans Timmermans, has reiterated in the past, who also claims to keep an "open mind" on the matter.

Community sources recall in this regard that the text of the agreement includes a "review clause" in 2026 that will take into account "technological advances".

But, visibly, Berlin wants a stronger guarantee, preferably in black on white and from now on.

Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant has assured that the European Executive is willing to “cautiously study” the reserves of Germany and Italy.

"We will review the new concerns expressed to see how best to address them," she said.

If the Commission does not now find a way to convince the reticent countries - in addition to Germany and Italy, Poland and Bulgaria are also opposed to the agreement - that the negotiated text accommodates their objections and is forced to substantially change the letter of the agreement, the negotiation would have to return to the starting point and the pact would not be signed during von der Leyen's term, which ends next year, warn diplomatic sources.

The President of the European Executive will participate on Sunday in an informal meeting of the German Government at the Meseberg Palace.

Although the Commission stresses that the meeting had been scheduled "for a long time" and the issue is not on the agenda, for Von der Leyen it may be a unique opportunity to convince Berlin.

The German government has been embroiled in internal discussions for months over the ban on combustion engines.

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz rules with Greens and Liberals, who couldn't be further apart on environmental policies.

While the Ministry of Economy and Climate, in the hands of the green Robert Habeck, has clearly declared himself in favor of the end of combustion engines in 2035, the Ministry of Transport, headed by the liberal Wolker Wissing, is pressing to make an exception for fuels synthetics.

The chancellor finds himself in the middle of a dispute that shows no sign of abating.

The Liberals, who are trailing electoral defeats in various regions and are in the doldrums in the polls, are going to hold their ground.

It is the party that best represents the interests of German companies, among which car manufacturers stand out, and the one that defends the use of private cars without restrictions.

Wissing recently stated that so-called

are necessary: ​​“Anyone who is serious about climate-neutral mobility must keep all technological options open and also use them.

I don't understand this fight against the car and why people want to ban some technologies”.

Wissing's arguments coincide with those of the powerful German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), which recalls that "the problem is not the engine, but the fossil fuel."

The manufacturers' association defends that high-efficiency combustion engines powered by synthetic fuels can also contribute to climate protection and is pressing for their registration to be allowed from 2035.

The Brussels proposal is that vehicles with a thermal engine cannot be registered, which includes gasoline and diesel cars, but also hybrids, plug-in hybrids and gas-powered cars (LPG and CNG).

Cars that use

as fuel could not be sold from that date either, which goes against the interests of brands that had directed their development of combustion engines towards these synthetic green fuels that save up to 85% of CO₂ , compared to traditional gasoline.

Rome immediately welcomed the postponement of the European decision.

A gesture that takes into account their reluctance to "a framework that is too ideological of the regulation and not very specific", as indicated by the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto.

“The decarbonisation of the transport sector, which continues to be a priority objective, must take into account national peculiarities and a calendar compatible with the development of the automotive sector.

We hope that this pause will also allow other countries and the European institutions themselves to reflect more on such an important issue for citizens and companies, ”he said in a statement.

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