Filenews 1 July 2022
The Council of EU Environment Ministers has opened a "window" for the continued use of vehicles with internal combustion engines beyond 2035, using renewable fuels.
In particular, while the original proposal adopted by the European Parliament provided for a ban on the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines from 2035 (so only electric vehicles were allowed), the amendment adopted by the Council at its last meeting invites the Commission to submit a proposal to create a framework that will also include the use of new vehicles with internal combustion engines after 2035, if they use exclusively neutral fuels.
The Council also invites the Commission to assess in 2026 the effectiveness and impact of the Regulation, taking into account technological developments in plug-in hybrids, the parameter of costs and social fairness (given that currently electric vehicles are more expensive than conventional ones and therefore inaccessible to the average consumer).
According to the information, the amendments were adopted at the suggestion of Germany and the first reaction of FuelsEurope, which represents the European refining industry, was positive.
Renewable fuels are produced with raw material agricultural waste, biomass, carbon dioxide captured by the atmosphere, etc. and not by processing fossil hydrocarbons. Therefore, the pollutants emitted into the atmosphere by their combustion do not increase the total emissions.
SOURCE: ANA-MPA
