Brussels, 8 June 2022 – Il European Parliament approved the proposal of the European Commission: stop selling petrol or diesel car from 2035. The amendments, proposed by the EPP, which provided for limiting the reduction of emissions for cars by 2035 by 90% instead of 100%, were rejected. The hemicycle’s okay to the MEPs’ negotiating position on CO2 emissions standards came with 339 votes in favor, 249 against and 24 abstentions.
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Two weeks ago, Parliament’s Environment Committee supported the European Commission’s proposal, but the Ppewith the support of the conservative right, he had presented two amendments who asked to apply the zero emission obligation to 90% of the car fleet in 2035, still leaving a 10% share of vehicles with internal combustion engines on the market. The amendments they did not foresee a final deadline for this derogation, thus raising the possibility that there are still cars with internal combustion engines in 2050, in contradiction with the goal of climate neutrality (net zero emissions) set for that date.
The logic of the ban on 100% of the new car fleet is precisely to prevent the old internal combustion cars from continuing to circulate in 2050, presumably still numerous in 2035, which have a life cycle of about 15 years. Furthermore, as the European Parliament rapporteur for this measure, the Dutchman, explained Jan Huitema (Renew), the obligation to 2035 should “strengthen innovation, give clarity to manufacturers and stimulate the production of more zero-emission car models, with the creation of a second and third hand electric car market“, in order to make them accessible to all, even to the lowest incomes, and “not just the rich”. The plenary vote now gives a negotiating mandate to the European Parliament to find, together with the Commission, an agreement with the EU Council, where there may still be resistance to the zero-emission obligation for cars in 2035, before the measure is finally approved .