Well, there is one more thing: The traffic light is settling its dispute about the future of cars with internal combustion engines, just in time for an important vote in Luxembourg. However, negotiations at EU level are ongoing.
During the negotiations at EU level, the federal government agreed on a common position on the possible end of new combustion cars from 2035. As a government spokesman announced on Tuesday, the federal government supports an emerging Council proposal on fleet limits as a “contribution on the way to climate-neutral mobility”.
The Federal Government welcomes the fact that the EU Commission has agreed to make a proposal outside the system of fleet limits on how vehicles could be approved after 2035 that would then be operated “exclusively” with climate-neutral fuels (e-fuels). According to the common understanding of the federal government, this also applies to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
In the negotiations of the past few days, it has been possible to ensure that this concern of the coalition agreement is anchored in the text of the decision, according to the government spokesman: “Subject to this condition, the federal government would agree to the proposal.” In FDP circles it was said that this position was with the FDP united.
It was previously unclear whether Germany would agree to a possible end for new combustion cars in the EU from 2035 – or abstain. The topic had caused a heated argument in the federal government, and the FDP had great concerns. She had insisted that after 2035, combustion cars that run on e-fuels could also be approved.
But now the EU ministers responsible for the environment still have to find a common position. They discussed Tuesday in Luxembourg. Long deliberations into the night were expected.
Cars are particularly affected by the so-called CO2 fleet limits. Vehicles that have already been registered would not be affected by a de facto ban on combustion engines in 2035.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said at the end of the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria that many proposals were still being developed at EU level, so that intermediate results would not make sense. “But we actually agree to act as one.” The benchmark for the traffic light government is the coalition agreement, in which the plans are described in detail. Emission-free drives are the focus, but one also wants to make it possible for 2035 cars to be registered with e-fuels, for example.
