The German blockade against a European ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 has been lifted. Berlin and Brussels reached an agreement on Saturday about a future role for sustainable fuels.
European Commissioner Frans Timmermans reports on Saturday morning that an agreement has been reached with Germany on the future use of synthetic fuels. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing is pleased: “Vehicles with a combustion engine can also be registered after 2035 if they only use CO2-neutral fuels.”
The historic European car law, which regulates a sales ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, already included the promise that Brussels would come back at a later date with a proposal on the possible role of so-called e-fuels.
But just before the crucial vote by EU member states that would make the law final, the German government launched a blockade. Led by the Liberal Coalition Party, Berlin demanded a less voluntary commitment and ‘legal certainty’ for this clean technology.
Vote postponed
Due to the German ‘nein’, there was suddenly insufficient support for the European car law. Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Italy are also opposed. The vote was therefore postponed at the last minute.
Last week Timmermans sent a plan to convince Berlin. It is a firm commitment to a new proposal. The bottom line is that the ‘e-fuel car’ will become a separate category within the EU. Initially, Wissing did not seem satisfied, but on Saturday an agreement was reached between Brussels and Berlin.
It is not yet clear when the EU countries will vote on the car law. After that, the discussion has not completely disappeared. Car countries have stipulated that there will be an evaluation moment in 2026. The car law can still be amended this year.