EU to ban new petrol and diesel cars by 2035
The European Union (EU) institutions have reached an agreement to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035. The EU Council announced that an agreement had been reached in the negotiations between the European Parliament (EP) and member states on the regulation that will introduce new carbon emission standards for vehicles. Accordingly, all new cars and light commercial vehicles sold in EU member states from 2035 onwards will have to be zero-emission. Car manufacturers will reduce their carbon emissions by 100 percent by 2035. Thus, as of this date, new cars with internal combustion engines, including gasoline and diesel, will not be able to be sold in EU countries. The 2030 emission reduction target will be 55 percent for cars and 50 percent for vans. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on her social media account, “The political agreement reached today between the EP and the EU Council on the sale of new zero-emission cars by 2035 is a very important milestone for reaching our 2030 climate target.” The EU aims to have all sectors and vehicles be zero-emission by 2050. After this stage, the regulation will be officially approved and published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force. The regulation was among the proposals in the "Adaptation to 55" package, which is part of the European Green Deal and aims to reduce emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030.