EU Parliament Votes to Ban New Sales of Fossil Fuel-Powered Vehicles Starting in 2035 - EcoWatch

2022-06-09

Excerpt from this story from EcoWatch:

The European Parliament has voted in favor of effectively banning the sale of new fossil fuel-powered cars in the European Union (EU) beginning in 2035. The vote confirms the support the lawmakers expressed last year for the European Commission’s proposal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles by 100 percent by 2035, reported Reuters. The vote comes ahead of talks with EU member countries about the final law, which is part of a larger bundle of climate change measures.

European Parliament Environment Committee Chair Pascal Canfin, a French Member of the European Parliament (MEP), said stopping the sale of emissions-producing vehicles was “a historic decision that will lead us towards a new era of climate neutrality. It is a major victory,” The Guardian reported.

The vote rejected an amendment that would have included 90 percent of cars instead of the agreed upon 100 percent.

MEPs also rejected a proposed amendment to allow automakers to purchase credits for “e-fuels” — synthetic fuels consisting of sequestered carbon and hydrogen from renewable sources — reported Bloomberg.

“We don’t think that politicians should decide if the electric vehicles or synthetic fuels are the best choice. I personally believe that most consumers will buy an electrical car if we give them the necessary infrastructure and that’s what we need to do,” said German lawmaker Peter Liese, as CNN Business reported.

The final law — part of the EU’s “Green Deal” — has yet to be negotiated between MEPs and ministers from the 27 EU member governments, reported The Guardian.