On Monday, the EC has approved the agreement that will prohibit the manufacture and sale of combustion engines, including diesel, gasoline and hybrids, from 2035 after Germany agreed to lift its veto.
From 2035, all new cars that come on the market may not emit any CO2. This is to ensure that by 2050, the transport sector can become carbon-neutral.
In a meeting at ambassadorial level in Brussels, the 27 have decided to include the agreement as a point without discussion on the agenda of the Council of Energy Ministers on Tuesday, which, in practice, means giving the green light to the new norm and submitting it to the vote of the ministers for its confirmation.
As reported by community sources, the agreement already has the support of Germany, but it will be rejected by Poland and Italy, in addition to the abstention of Bulgaria, although, with the change in Berlin, this group of countries does not have enough weight to block the deal.
You will still be able to drive your current car, however. The new rules don’t mean that all cars on the road have to produce zero CO2 emissions by 2035. These rules don’t affect existing cars, so. if you buy a new car now, you can drive it until the end of its lifespan. But, because the average life span of a car is 15 years, the ban will come in place in 2035 to aim for all cars to be CO2-neutral by 2050.
