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There is an agreement in the coalition dispute over stricter CO2 standards for trucks in the EU.
© Thomas Banneyer/dpa
There is an agreement in the EU on stricter CO2 limits for trucks and buses.
The compromise was on the brink, and Germany's consent only came at the last moment.
Brussels - A majority of EU states have approved plans for stricter CO2 standards for trucks and buses following a last-minute agreement within the federal government.
This was announced by the Belgian EU Council Presidency.
The project was surprisingly in jeopardy because the federal government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP only agreed to approve the new rules at the last moment.
The so-called fleet limits regulate how much climate-damaging CO2 vehicles will be allowed to emit in the future.
According to the agreement, CO2 emissions from coaches and trucks should be reduced by 90 percent by 2040 - compared to 2019. The agreement, which has now been agreed among the EU states, must also be approved by the plenary session of the European Parliament.
The decision was - once again - preceded by a coalition dispute in Berlin.
Negotiators in Brussels had actually already agreed in principle on the project on January 18th and it was assumed in Brussels that the German government coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP would agree to the plans for the new CO2 emissions standards.
The FDP was initially against the law
Afterwards, however, the participants at an FDP European party conference spoke out strictly against fleet limits and the FDP-led Ministry of Transport vetoed the federal government's planned approval, citing, among other things, a lack of regulation for synthetic fuels (e-fuels).
This was only withdrawn after the Federal Chancellery got involved.
According to Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), trucks and buses that run exclusively on e-fuels can now be registered for an unlimited period.
“In the negotiations on the EU fleet limits, we successfully ensured that this regulation becomes part of the legal text.
Under these conditions, we agreed to the new CO2 requirements,” said Wissing.
This will create legal certainty for both manufacturers of commercial vehicles and those of climate-neutral fuels.
“At the same time, we are sending a clear signal to the market that we need synthetic fuels.”
The automobile industry association had pushed for reliable decisions.
Now the understanding was welcomed.
It ensures planning security, said a VDA spokesman in Berlin.
In order for the ambitious goals to actually be achieved, a sufficiently dense network of electric charging and hydrogen tank infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles throughout Europe is a crucial prerequisite.
Unfortunately, this is currently not even close.
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The interest group eFuel Alliance said: “Now we have another recital that ultimately does not commit to anything and we have to hope that the EU Commission will pick up this ball and submit further proposals for the inclusion of renewable fuels.”
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) sees the new regulations as positive for climate protection and the transport transition.
“I am glad that, despite the irritations of the last few days, we have now come to a sensible result that confirms the core of the well-balanced trilogue compromise.” There is now planning security for companies.
“The new regulation of the CO2 fleet limit values that was decided on today provided for openness to all suitable technologies from the outset,” added Lemke, thereby differentiating himself from Wissing’s point of view.
The fleet limits for heavy commercial vehicles are not the only EU project over which there was a dispute in the coalition in the last few meters.
There was also uncertainty about the German position regarding the EU supply chain law and the artificial intelligence law due to concerns from the FDP.
Because the German government - even under Angela Merkel - was often unable to agree on a common position, an abstention is also referred to as a “German vote” in Brussels.
SPD: German approval is an important signal
When asked in Frankfurt, Wissing said that in this case there was no “German vote”.
Germany protects its location interests.
“And in the end we built the bridges and reached out.
We have always shown a willingness to negotiate.” Ultimately, a German suggestion for improvement was accepted.
He was pleased about that, added Wissing. The transport policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Isabel Cademartori, sees Germany's approval of new CO2 requirements as an important signal.
“The agreement now brings much-needed security for the industry through clear framework conditions,” she said.
dpa