On the night of Tuesday 28 to Wednesday 29 June, after a long day of negotiations on several aspects of the ‘Fit for 55’ package (see EUROPE 12981/1), the Member States managed to reach a common position (‘general approach’) on CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans (see EUROPE 12981/4).
Concretely, the text validates the initial objectives leading to the end of the sale of new cars, commercial vehicles and vans with internal combustion engines in 2035. However, at the request of several Member States - Germany and Italy in the lead - a recital has been added in the text to allow car manufacturers to maintain, after 2035, the sale of combustion engine vehicles in the event that the fuel used is ‘neutral’ carbon.
In addition, the text also provides for the possibility for small car manufacturers - less than 10,000 cars or 22,000 vans per year - to benefit from a derogation allowing them to continue to produce and sell vehicles with internal combustion engines until 2035, without reducing the number.
In addition, while the text is quite close to the general approach proposed by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, the agreement reached between the ministers also provides that the objectives can be reviewed in 2026, taking into account technological developments, in particular as regards plug-in hybrid technologies.
To do this, says a document of which EUROPE has obtained a copy, the Commission should rely on the biennial report and submit its analysis to the Parliament and the Council of the EU and could lead to an amendment to the regulation.
Future debates in sight with Parliament
It remains to be seen what direction future interinstitutional negotiations will take, as Parliament adopted its position on 8 June (see EUROPE 12967/3).
Although the positions of the Council and the European Parliament are not very far apart in terms of purpose, several points should be the subject of lengthy discussions.
“I hope that we will come back to this point in the interinstitutional negotiations in order to set in stone our objectives”, said the Chair of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), referring to Germany’s request to leave the door open to synthetic fuels.
“I regret that not all manufacturers, especially those aimed at a well-off public, are treated in the same way”, she also commented on the ‘Ferrari’ amendment - also included in Parliament’s approach - leaving small manufacturers to produce and sell combustion vehicles until 2035.
In addition, she also said, the possible revision of the objectives in 2026 should also be discussed during interinstitutional negotiations. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)