EU to ban sales of cars with combustion engines from 2035
The 27 European Union member states approved legislation on Tuesday that will end the sale of new cars equipped with internal combustion engines from 2035, after Germany won an exemption for cars using synthetic fuels that do not emit carbon dioxide, reports Agerpres.
The approved text will force new cars to stop emitting CO2 from the middle of the next decade, effectively banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and hybrids.
Of the 27 member states, only Poland voted against the law. Romania, Italy and Bulgaria abstained from the vote among EU energy ministers meeting in Brussels, according to AFP.
Earlier, ambassadors from the 27 EU member states had agreed to proceed with a formal adoption on Tuesday, the last stage of a long legislative process.
The proposal to revise CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans is part of the "Fit for 55" package. Presented by the European Commission on 14 July 2021, this package will enable the EU to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to reach climate neutrality in 2050.
After months of negotiations, the European Parliament, the EU executive and EU member states agreed last year on a 2035 deadline for phasing out carbon-emitting cars. The rules will make it impossible to sell new cars with combustion engines after 2035.
