The talks to try to get Germany’s rejection, at the last minute, of the new regulations to stop marketing cars with combustion engines from 2035 in the European Union continue. In a new attempt to save this regulation, which was already agreed by the European co-legislators and key to meeting the climate objectives that the Union has set, Brussels has put on the negotiation table the draft of a new proposal tailored to the concerns of Berlin that would allow the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines that run only on synthetic, carbon-neutral fuels, community sources have explained.
“The manufacturer will ensure that all vehicles powered exclusively by carbon-neutral fuels are equipped with refueling induction systems” that will not allow them to start “if fueled with fuels that are not carbon-neutral,” the draft details. of the proposal. The European Commission points out that this initiative would only be processed after ratifying the approval of the standard to retire combustion engines in the EU, currently blocked. Berlin, however, seems to have opened Pandora’s box because now Rome has also set conditions to support the regulations, allowing the use of biofuels.
The reservations raised at the last minute by Germany, added to the vote against announced by Italy and the rejections already known by other countries jeopardize the approval of the emission regulations because, despite the fact that the text has already been approved by the co-legislators after two years of long and arduous negotiations, there would not be enough votes in the Council to carry it through. The German Ministry of Transport is silent on the new proposal and it is not clear that this concession will convince the liberal faction of the German coalition government to give its approval to the original proposal, which although it will encourage the use of electric cars will not be It favors no technology and only stipulates that from 2035 the sale of vehicles that emit CO? will be prohibited.
The high price of the first attempts to manufacture synthetic fuels (the cost of an average tank would be 210 euros, according to a study by Transport
Germany’s attitude has generated discomfort among the rest of the European partners, who fear not only for the future of the proposal but also for the example it is setting for other countries, which may be tempted to do the same when a European issue causes them concern. last minute internal political problems. The Spanish government has accused Berlin of generating “noise and uncertainty” while the French executive, for its part, has warned Brussels that it must abide by what was agreed and not reopen the initial agreement. The Italian government, however, has written to the European Commission this week to suggest that, if it accepts the use of synthetic fuels, it should also allow the use of biofuels.
