EU countries delay vote on important law to end sales of CO2-emitting cars

A vote on the European law to ban the sale of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035 has been postponed until the end of March 2023.

A representative for Sweden, now in charge of rotating the European Union (EU) presidency, said ambassadors from member states would revisit the subject in due time, but no new date for the vote was provided.

The law to end sales of CO2-emitting cars starting in 2035 was approved last year after months of negotiations by the European Parliament,  the European Commission, and EU member states, except for Germany. The European law provides that combustion engine cars will no longer be able to be sold after 2035. However, the decision must still be approved by all EU member states before it can go into effect.

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According to a non-binding clause in the law, the European Commission and member states will propose how CO2-neutral fuel-powered vehicles might be sold beyond 2035 if doing so is consistent with climate goals. But the German transport ministry wants more specific guarantees.

German Transport Minister, Volker Wissing, encouraged the European Commission to submit a proposal to ensure that the use of synthetic fuels will continue to be legal after the 2035 deadline.

The Free Democratic Party (FDP) in Germany has long supported environmentally friendly synthetic fuels, often known as e-fuels, saying that their use would allow combustion engines to continue to operate. But, the environment ministry of Germany has said that Germany should uphold the agreement and not renege at the last minute.

The European law will help reduce the automotive industry’s carbon footprint, clean air and improve people's overall well-being. DGB Group's carbon calculator is the first step to identifying your environmental footprint and reducing your carbon emissions.

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