BRUSSELS (AP) – The adoption by European Union (EU) member countries of new carbon dioxide emission standards for cars and vans has been postponed amid opposition from Germany and conservative lawmakers, the presidency of the EU ministers’ council said on Friday.
The vote initially scheduled for next week will take place at a “later council meeting” on a date yet to be announced, according to the Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU.
Germany’s transportation minister said this week that his country would not back a proposed EU ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035.
He wanted assurances from the bloc’s executive arm that there would be an exemption for synthetic fuels. The conservative European People’s Party group, which is the largest bloc in the European Parliament, is also opposing the ban and called on member countries to do the same.
“The ban will prevent innovation and cost thousands of jobs and will lead to the decline of a core European industry,” said EPP Group lead negotiator on the planned regulation Jens Gieseke.
EU lawmakers and member nations reached a preliminary deal last year that would force automakers to reduce new car emissions by 55 per cent in 2030 relative to 2021 levels, and by 100 per cent in 2035.
The plan, which is part of the bloc’s effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, effectively means that the sale of new cars that burn hydrocarbon-based fuels such as petroleum would be banned.
