German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said last week that the German government will not accept the European Union’s plans to effectively ban the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035. Lindner, who belongs to the Party of the Free Democrats who govern the country in coalition with the Social Democrats and the Greens, explained at an event organized by the German industry association (BDI) that there are still niches for combustion engines and that therefore an outright ban is wrong and your government does not agree with a possible European legislation in this regard.
These statements are surprising considering that the new German government declared in March, through the environment minister Steffi Lemke, its complete adherence to the proposal of the European Commission recently approved by Parliament that foresees the end of the commercialization of vehicles with combustion engines in 2035. Lemke even closed the door to the possibility that vehicles with engines powered by synthetic fuels will be marketed from that date, as some German manufacturers had requested, and only provided for some exceptions for very specific vehicles such as ambulances or tractors, for example.
Now, Lindner has contradicted her cabinet partner and plans to make Germany one of the countries that demands a new negotiation on the matter. Germany is not the first country to speak out, even if only partially, against the ban on selling thermal vehicles beyond 2035. Other countries such as Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania have requested that the entry into force of this measure is delayed by at least 5 years. These countries would accept a 90% reduction in the CO2 emitted in 2035 and 100% in 2040. It should be remembered that the Union foresees a 55% reduction in emissions in 2030.
These countries would thus align themselves with the amendment presented by the European People’s Party and which was rejected in the vote in the European Parliament and which sought to leave some room for maneuver for the automobile industry since, according to the conservative deputies, those countries whose economies depend Much of the automotive industry, including Spain, should have more time to adapt and find solutions since the accelerated phase-out of gasoline and diesel cars could put more than half a million jobs at risk in Europe.
In Italy, it generated a certain stir that the country’s Permanent Commission in the European Union in Brussels will send emails to Italian MEPs asking them to vote in favor of the amendment of the European People’s Party, something that was heavily criticized by the associations in favor of the ban in 2035 and by some MEPs from other countries.