A coalition of European countries stands up to the EU!
Italy, Germany, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary are meeting in Strasbourg with their respective transport ministers to present a united front against the European Commission and the discontinuation of the sale of gasoline and diesel engine cars from 2035.
“The Italian government is firmly opposed to the Euro 7 standard” , declares the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, echoed by his Czech colleague, Martin Kupka: “The proposal is counter-productive and must be modified in the coming months. , because it calls for unrealistic actions” .
The feared danger is that the new standards lead to higher prices and slow down the modernization of fleets. In the coming weeks, a report will therefore be sent to Brussels on the alternatives to the text submitted.
However, the Commission defends its operator: “A very important point in our proposal” , says a spokeswoman, “is that the previous Euro 6 standard dates from 2012; since then the industry has adapted, there is There has been an evolution and companies are already very close to the ambition levels of the new Euro 7 standard ” .
The meeting is also an opportunity to take stock of the 2035 dossier : “I add my position against the CO2 dossier for light and heavy vehicles as well, unless biofuels and synthetic e-fuels are included” , raises Salvini.
The summit comes after the proposed phase-out failed in the EU Council, which had been called to vote on the deal reached in recent months with the European parliament. An apparently formal step, but which on the contrary blocked the entire regulatory process, resulting in the postponement of the final decision.
With Italy at the forefront, a small group also made up of Poland, Hungary and Germany ran the red light against the proposal to ban sales of combustion cars from 2035. It was , and it is still, primarily Berlin’s position that demands official recognition of new alternative fuels .
Opening of e-fuels
In this regard, very important rumors were published this weekend by Automotive News Europe (ANE). According to the information gathered, the European Commission is ready to satisfy the German government with a “statement which would explain the possible role of so-called e -fuels “ .
“The new declaration would change the rules that determine what types of cars can be driven in Europe, so as to allow the use of certain vehicles that can only use e-fuels after an effective ban on new combustion engine cars.”
Confirmation now comes from Dana Spinant, spokesperson for the EU executive. “Not only are we following this issue with great interest, but we are also ready to provide clarification on the concerns expressed by one or more Member States, with whom we are in contact to find a solution” .
According to ANE, however, it is unlikely that new rules will be proposed before the European elections next year, due to the time needed for legislation to be adopted in Brussels. For his part, the European Commissioner for Industry, Thierry Breton, warns: “To date, no decision has yet been taken” . He adds :
“I say to builders: wait until democracy has taken hold before making decisions. Keep both engines running until the decision is finalized in the next few weeks, but don’t anticipate what democracy will do. What is on the table today is whether or not we will integrate combustion engines with synthetic fuel.”
In the evening, German Transport Minister Volker Wissing also made a statement in which he expressed optimism on the issue of stopping polluting engines from 2035, especially with regard to the demand for l of a chapter in the draft directive that would save the use of biofuels and e-fuels.
“The discussions we’ve had so far have brought a lot of clarity ,” Wissing said in Strasbourg , as German media reported. “We know where there are still hurdles to overcome and I am confident that we may be able to make progress this week. Any solution allowing the certification of internal combustion engines running exclusively on synthetic fuels after 2035 is a good solution for We.”
Source: fr.motor1
