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Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
The vote on the combustion engine off could be postponed again.
As DER SPIEGEL learned from EU circles, the Swedish Council Presidency once again took the issue off the agenda.
The EU ambassadors should have voted on the regulation on Wednesday.
The vote is considered a kind of test before the actual decision next Tuesday.
Then a round of ministers should finally decide on the regulation – usually a formality.
Because the negotiations between the EU Commission, Council and Parliament were actually considered to be over.
The European Parliament had already approved the project in February with a majority.
A preliminary vote by the EU ambassadors on Wednesday failed at the first attempt.
According to SPIEGEL information, the Swedish Council Presidency decided at short notice on Wednesday morning to remove the issue from the agenda because a qualified majority for the compromise was no longer assured.
The Swedish ambassador in Brussels had rescheduled because of the German media reports.
In the EU Council, the qualified majority applies to the decision: a vote by at least 15 countries that represent at least 65 percent of the EU population is required.
Italy also announced on Tuesday that it intends to vote against the EU regulation.
Poland and Bulgaria could not support the regulation either.
But they could only overturn the proposal with German help.
A German abstention would not result in a majority.
The FDP is expecting a proposal from the EU Commission on how combustion engines can be approved after 2035 if it can be proven that they can only be fueled with synthetic fuels.
EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans promised last June that he would take on the issue of e-fuels.
When exactly, however, he had not said.
However, the FDP insists on seeing a corresponding proposal before voting.
"Germany can expect that a proposal will be submitted if such a proposal has been promised," said Wissing on Friday morning.
The EU Commission President intervened
Nevertheless, the final vote should definitely take place on Tuesday.
The EU Council Presidency is sticking to the date next week.
Accordingly, only a few days remain to settle the dispute – or the regulation fails.
The dispute over e-fuels should therefore also overshadow the cabinet meeting in Meseberg, which will take place in the palace north of Berlin from Sunday afternoon.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been invited.
The actual topic on the agenda: “Economic prospects for Germany and Europe at the turning point”.
But in addition to these big issues, it will also be about how the deal on the future of electromobility - and the fate of cars with internal combustion engines - can be saved.
The main opponents are on site: Transport Minister Wissing and Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke as well as Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, both from the Greens.
Less than two hours are scheduled for the appearance of the CDU politician from Brussels in Meseberg.
There will be a press statement at 5 p.m.
If it sticks to the schedule.
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