Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) EU ministers of environmental protection agreed to ban the sale of new automobiles and vans with internal combustion engines from 2035.
After more than 16 hours of talks in Luxembourg, they reached an agreement on new rules aimed at fighting against climate change, according to Reuters reporting on Wednesday.
The ministers pointed out in a statement that the EU Council agreed to impose a limit of 0% CO2 emissions for new automobiles and vans by 2035, meaning that the sale of new automobiles and vans with internal combustion engines will be banned in 2035.
The Council still needs to negotiate the new rules with the EU Parliament, which supports the ban as well.
Frans Timmermans, European Commissioner for Climate Action, stressed that “the climate crisis and its consequences are clear, and so the policy is unavoidable.”
Germany supported the ban under the condition that sales of new vehicles that run on CO2-neutral fuels be allowed after 2035. The country was the main opponent of the planned ban as the largest automobile market in the EU.
Steffi Lemke, German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection, noted “EU member states have voted with an overwhelming majority that starting from 2035, only cars and light commercial vehicles will be permitted that do not emit CO2.”
She stressed that this shows the EU’s commitment to the green push and gives the automobile industry time to plan and prepare.
New fund to be established
Among the new rules is the plan to set up a Social Climate Fund worth some 59 billion euros to protect low-income citizens from energy price hikes caused by the green push.
EU member states are to propose rules for use of the new fund to the Commission, such as subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles or improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
“The transition to renewable energy will bring the bills down, but many people will need some support in getting there,” Timmermans stated. Think tanks and NGOs previously criticized the rules currently in place across the EU, stressing that they are designed to help the well-off while leaving the most vulnerable behind.
