Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The European Commission welcomed the agreement on new transport rules that the EU Parliament and Council reached on Thursday.
According to the agreement, sale of new cars with combustion engines will be banned in the bloc from 2035, the Commission noted in a statement released on Friday.
As part of the agreement, average emissions of new cars will have to be cut 55% by 2030, while emissions of vans will have to go down 50%.
The agreement shows the EU’s commitment to the green push ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt slated for next month.
Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the EC for the European Green Deal, pointed out “the agreement sends a strong signal to industry and consumers: Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility.”
He stressed that carmakers in Europe are doing their part by offering increasingly affordable electric vehicles and turning away from internal combustion engines.
“The speed at which this change has happened over the past few years is remarkable… it is no wonder that this file is the first one in the entire Fit for 55 package when member states and the EU Parliament have come to a final deal,” he concluded.
Agreement shows dedication
The Commission pointed out that the deal sends a clear signal to citizens and companies as well as puts the EU on the path to make transport climate neutral by 2050.
The body added that new rules will make transport in the EU more sustainable and reduce air pollution in the bloc, stressing that adoption is an important step towards achieving environmental goals.
The EC pointed out that the new agreement also shows that the conflict in Ukraine is not slowing down the bloc’s green push, but is accelerating it and pushing the bloc closer to climate neutrality.
The body stressed that the EP and the EU Council still have to formally adopt the new deal, after which new rules will be released in the Official Journal of the EU and come into effect.
The Commission reminded that it proposed the revised emission standards for transport in July last year with the aim of speeding up the green push.
