BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - FDP leader Christian Dürr has called for a complete reversal of the so-called combustion engine phase-out. "What Ms. von der Leyen now wants to sell as a supposed departure from the phase-out of the combustion engine is nothing more than a brazen attempt at deception," Dürr told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. A "tiny relaxation" is far from sufficient to secure the future of the automotive industry.
The fleet rules that the EU Commission wants to maintain would do nothing for climate protection, but would have a devastating effect on the industry. "This regulation must be completely scrapped because it erodes the foundation of our industrial strength without providing any ecological added value," said the FDP leader.
The EU Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) plans to present its proposals for a revision of the fleet limits on Tuesday.
Majority in poll in favor of softening combustion engine ban
Representatives of the EU member states and the European Parliament agreed in 2022 that new cars in the European Union would no longer be allowed to emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) from 2035 onwards. The background to this is the so-called fleet limits, which stipulate a 100 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from newly registered cars by 2035. This target is now likely to be abandoned. Greenhouse gas emissions are to be fully offset by other measures.
The industry and Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had strongly advocated for a softening of the combustion engine ban. The Greens and some experts are dismayed by the change of direction.
Just under two-thirds of German citizens support the plan, according to a representative survey conducted for ZDF's "Politbarometer." According to the survey, 63 percent believe that cars with combustion engines, such as gasoline or diesel, should still be newly registered after 2035. /hgo/DP/zb
