“The regulation on CO2 emissions from cars will not be reopened and this is the basis for possibly proceeding with the decision” to approve it. Thus said a senior EU official, ahead of Tuesday’s Energy Council, answering the question of whether the negotiations on the ban on internal combustion engine cars will be reopened to include biofuels, as Italy is requesting, in addition to synthetic fuels , on which agreement was reached with Germany.
“I think the Commission will have to communicate what will be part of the agreement reached with Germany over the weekend, it is a statement that had to be made by the Commission and which is not available at the moment,” the official added.
While synthetic fuels (e-fuels) were already foreseen in ‘recital 11’ of the regulation, biofuels seem to fall outside the scope of the provision, as they are not 100% ‘neutral’ in terms of CO2 emissions.
Any future “changes” “are in the hands of the Commission,” adds the source. Vice-President Frans Timmermans said last Thursday that including biofuels would mean reopening the regulation, an eventuality that is also excluded by the European Parliament, which considers the legislative work concluded.
Forza Italia MEP Massimiliano Salini suggested “caution” before drawing conclusions, inviting us to wait for the text of the delegated act that the Commission should draw up to implement the agreement with Berlin on synthetic fuels, suggesting that the games for biofuels are not finished.