The blockade of Germany to the prohibition of combustion cars in the European Union from 2035 could have its days numbered. The German Transport Minister, Volker Wissin, assured this Thursday that Berlin has “softened its position” regarding this measure, key in the continent’s climate package. According to information published by the German newspaper ‘Der Spiegel’, the federal government would have sent a “compromise proposal” to the European Commission via email.
Until now, Germany had been rooted in the request that combustion vehicles powered by e-fuels can continue to be registered beyond 2035. Already on Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that “there is a consensus” to include the request from Berlin and that the negotiation “is on the right track.” Apparently, according to the German Transport Minister, he has assured that the country “has retracted” its demand to renegotiate and change the text agreed with the European Commission, a process that could take years. In return, he asks for guarantees that a special category for vehicles powered by e-fuels will be created from 2035.
The rest of the Member States, especially France, had categorically refused to reopen and modify the report agreed between the European countries, the European Commission and the European Parliament. The German green light for this climate measure will come in exchange for Brussels agreeing to allow the sale of synthetic fuel vehicles from 2035, according to ‘Der Spiegel’, which has had access to the Berlin proposal.
Brussels, for its part, has already opened the door to accept this type of combustion vehicles, as long as they do not use fossil fuels and do not generate polluting gases. The change required by Germany could be carried out through a delegated act, which could “complement or modify” the current proposal.