The European Council has declared that a new regulation has been adopted, necessitating eliminating CO2 emissions from newly registered cars and vans in the EU by 2035.
This announcement signifies the final step towards implementing stricter CO2 emission performance standards in the EU, a crucial part of the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” roadmap. The roadmap aims to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% by 2030, relative to 1990.
The Council and the European Parliament agreed upon the regulation in October 2022 but encountered difficulties in its final adoption. Germany had requested assurances that combustion engines would still be permitted after the 2035 deadline, provided they run on carbon-neutral fuels or “e-fuels.”
Over the weekend, Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, and German Transport Minister Volker Wissing announced a deal on using e-fuels.
The European Council has stated that the new regulation now includes a reference to e-fuels, and the Commission will propose registering vehicles that exclusively run on CO2-neutral fuels after 2035. This proposal will comply with EU law, outside the fleet standards, and in line with the EU’s climate neutrality objective.
Along with the 2035 objective, the regulation also has interim targets necessitating a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars and 50% for new vans by 2030, compared to 2021. In addition, the Council has also agreed with the European Parliament for a related Fit for 55 law that mandates a substantial increase in electric vehicle recharging and hydrogen refuelling stations across Europe’s primary transport networks. This law aims to facilitate the transition to zero-emission transport and address consumer refuelling concerns that could impede the transition to zero-emission vehicles.