8:02 am, March 4, 2023
EU plans to ban new ICE sales from 2035 have hit a snag after strong opposition from the Italian and German governments.
Though already approved by the European Parliament, a final vote on the proposals by the European Council had been set for March 7.
Now however, the council has been forced into a postponement in order to avoid an embarrassing defeat for the motion,
The vote has now been pushed back to a ‘later council meeting’ in ‘due time’ as it’s believed the proposals would not receive enough of a qualified majority to get the go-ahead.
The postponement was confirmed by a spokesperson of Sweden, who holds the current presidency of the Council of the EU.
It is very rare for attempts to block or alter EU policy to be made so far into the lawmaking process.
Fierce opposition has come from the Italian Government, which has said it will ‘firmly oppose’ the law unless the EU commission ‘revises its position and propose environmentally sustainable alternatives’.
That’s according to the European Council for Motor Trades and Repairs (CECRA), which has said that the ‘debate on the end date for combustion engines is not closed’.
In a statement released on February 28, Italy’s Energy Minster Gilberto Pinchetto Fratin said: ‘Italy believes that the choice of electric should not be the only way to achieve zero emissions in the transition phase.;
The German Government has also said it would reject the measures unless the use of manmade e-fuels was included in the proposals.
German manufacturer Porsche has already set up an e-Fuel plant in Chile as it hopes it will continue to be able to fuel combustion cars in the future with this ‘nearly carbon-neutral alternative’.
The proposals which are proving so controversial are a set of CO2 emissions performance standards for new cars and vans sold within the bloc.
The move would require firms to make a 100 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from new vehicles – effectively banning new ICE sales by 2035.
Last month, Car Dealer reported that manufacturers which register fewer than 1,000 cars annually will be exempt from the ban.
That will allow the likes of Morgan, Caterham and BAC to continue exporting their vehicles in Europe.
Car Dealer Live – the future of the car dealer – exclusive conference features talks from leading car dealers, Google and Auto Trader among much more. Find out the full event details and book tickets.
