Spain does not support request from five European countries to expand the combustion engine

Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia have submitted a joint proposal to delay the end of combustion engine vehicles by five years, proposed by the European Commission from 2035 to 2040.

Germany has also expressed its rejection of this 2035 deadline because German Finance Minister Christian Lindner labeled the proposal a “wrong decision” last week, announced that Germany would not support the proposal to ban combustion-engined vehicles and regretted that the use of technology to reduce emissions is not considered.

Spain is not among the applicants, as the third vice president of government and minister for the ecological transition and the demographic challenge, Teresa Ribera, explained this Tuesday that Spain will support the 2035 proposal as the date to end. to internal combustion engine cars in the European Union.

“Spain supports 2035. A group of member states is calling for an advance to 2030 and Germany and Italy are not asking for an extension, but are proposing proposals to make some aspects more flexible,” Ribera told the press when entering the Council of Environment Ministers of the EU, in which they will debate the package through which the bloc will update its climate legislation, called ‘Goal 55’.

The applicants propose a gap of five years for passenger cars, such that they set an emission reduction target of 90% in 2035 and 100% in 2040. In the case of light commercial vehicles, they have proposed that emissions reduction targets be set at 45% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040.

These five countries have urged the remaining Member States to create a transition period so as not to create “disproportionate and unnecessary costs for the car industry and consumers”.

They argue that there are “barriers” to achieving zero-emission mobility, such as expanding the electric charging network, developing a “European battery industry”, creating adequate incentives for the production of zero-emission vehicles or “adapting the automotive industry”, who will have to change their component supplier network and adapt the training of their employees.

In addition, the letter specifically mentions vans and points out that their electrification and development require longer production times and that it is necessary to “ensure a level playing field between manufacturers of light vehicles” such that it is distributed among them to reduce the emissions and does not harm “heavier van” manufacturers.

Italy and four other Member States warn of the consequences for SMEs of an accelerated transition, which would force them to change the characteristics of their vehicles and could lead to loss of market share, negatively affecting employment and “the innovation potential”.

Therefore, they are asking for an “extension” for small producers, whose environmental impact is very limited, as they represent 0.2% of new car registrations in the EU and 0.3% of new van registrations in the EU.

Finally, these five countries have demanded that the use of renewable fuels be considered in order to give producers “the necessary flexibility” without running commercial risks and thus avoid situations of a shortage of affordable cars and vans for private or business use.

In July last year, the European Commission proposed to stop selling new passenger cars or vans with combustion engines, i.e. petrol, diesel, gas or hybrid vehicles, from 2035. A proposal that was supported by the European Parliament earlier this month.

The European proposal was approved in the European Parliament on June 8, in line with what was proposed by the Community Executive in July last year, which stated that “all new vehicles registered from 2035 will be zero-emissions”.

After defining the position of the Twenty-seven at the Council of Ministers this Tuesday, negotiations between Parliament and Council will begin before a final rule is agreed

Source: La Verdad

Ida

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.