EU to end combustion engine sales

The EU has approved ending the sale of ­vehicles with combustion engines by 2035 in Europe, in a bid to reduce CO2emissions to net zero.

The ban on sales of vehicles with combustion engines by 2035 in Europe is intended to help achieve the continent’s climate objectives. Picture: istock

he EU has approved ending the sale of ­vehicles with combustion engines by 2035 in Europe, the 27-member bloc announced on Wednesday, in a bid to reduce CO2emissions to net zero.

The proposal was raised last July, and this decision will mean a de facto halt to sales of petrol and diesel vehicles and a complete shift to electric engines in the EU from 2035.

The measure is intended to help achieve the continent’s climate objectives, in particular carbon neutrality by 2050.

At the request of countries including Germany and Italy, the EU-27 also agreed to consider a future green light for the use of alternative technologies such as synthetic fuels or plug-in hybrids if they can achieve the complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment ministers meeting in Luxembourg also approved a five-year extension of the exemption from CO2 ­obligations granted to “niche” manufacturers, or those producing fewer than 10,000 vehicles per year, until the end of 2035. The clause, referred to as the “Ferrari amendment”, will benefit luxury brands.

“This is a big challenge for our,” said French Minister of Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher. But she said it was a “necessity” in the face of competition from China and the US.

AFP