The European Commission has announced the European Parliament and Council’s agreement that all new cars and vans registered in Europe will be zero-emission by 2035.
Furthermore, the revised CO2 emission standards will require the average emissions of new cars and vans to decrease by 55% and 50% by 2030, respectively.
This agreement is the first step towards the ‘Fit for 55′ plan, which the commission presented as a package of legislative proposals in July 2021. The ‘Fit for 55′ was part of the European Green Deal to make the EU’s energy, climate, transport, land use, and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990.
Next steps
After the formal adoption of this provisional agreement by the Parliament and the Council, the new legislation will be published in the Union Official Journal and enter into force.
“The agreement sends a strong signal to industry and consumers: Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility. European carmakers are already proving they are ready to step up to the plate, with increasing and increasingly affordable electric cars coming to the market. The speed at which this change has happened over the past few years is remarkable. It is no wonder that this file is the first one in the entire Fit for 55 package where Member States and the European Parliament have come to a final deal.”
Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal