The legislation delay is branded a ‘disgrace' as political groups lock horns, writes Dafydd ab Iago
EU member states have delayed formal approval of legislation that would effectively prohibit the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
The legislation, previously scheduled for approval on 7 March, includes adoption of revisions setting a 100pc CO2 cut for new cars and vans from 2035 based on tailpipe emissions, as well as a 55pc cut for cars and 50pc for vans by 2030. The European Parliament adopted the revisions on 14 February, the same day that the European Commission proposed a CO2 reduction target of 90pc for heavy-duty vehicles from 2040, essentially banning new ICE trucks.
Postponement of the member states' vote on the new legislation is a "disgrace" for Germany, the country's green lawmaker Michael Bloss says. "We're causing chaos, making ourselves unbelievable and holding up climate protection," he says. The German greens are in coalition with chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left socialists. Also in the coalition are liberals, who are pushing for Germany not to vote for the ICE phase-out agreement in the EU's council of ministers.
Parliament's largest centre-right EPP Group called on EU states to vote against the ICE ban, which it says will prevent innovation, make new cars more expensive and lead to the decline of a core European industry. Its lead negotiator on CO2 car standards, Jens Gieseke, said its proposal of a crediting scheme for e-fuels is "exactly what is missing".
