Environment: The EU Commission makes a compromise proposal in the combustion engine dispute

In the dispute over the planned ban on new cars with combustion engines in Europe, the EU Commission has submitted a proposal to the German government for a solution.

Environment: The EU Commission makes a compromise proposal in the combustion engine dispute

In the dispute over the planned ban on new cars with combustion engines in Europe, the EU Commission has submitted a proposal to the German government for a solution. In a draft available to the German Press Agency, the authority defines criteria for the approval of new vehicles that can only be operated with CO2-neutral fuels.

The Ministry of Transport did not comment explicitly on the proposal on Tuesday. However, Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) made it clear that he was interested in a quick clarification.

However, this must be resilient and binding, said a spokeswoman on Tuesday in Berlin. "We're looking into that carefully." The ministry is in close contact with the Commission to find a solution that shows a reliable way for cars with combustion engines to be registered after 2035, provided they are operated exclusively with e-fuels.

Proposal already rejected?

Wissing himself submitted a proposal for a solution to the EU Commission last week. The "mirror" reported on Tuesday that the minister had already rejected the EU Commission's proposal. The FDP, on the other hand, said that this was a good first step, but not enough. We want to continue working on a solution. The Federal Ministry for the Environment said that nothing should stand in the way of approval by the FDP.

Actually, negotiators in the European Parliament and the EU states had already agreed in autumn that only zero-emission new cars would be allowed to be registered in the EU from 2035. A confirmation of the deal by the EU states, which was scheduled for early March, was canceled due to additional demands from Germany. The FDP in particular is urging that even after 2035, new cars with combustion engines that refuel with climate-neutral e-fuels may still be registered.

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