Brussels backs away from climate utopia. The internal combustion engine ban is shaking the foundations

According to foreign media, the developments are a reaction to growing opposition from both Member States and the automotive industry, which is increasingly vocal in pointing out the economic and technological limits of a rapid transition to electromobility.

A ban on internal combustion engines was approved in 2023 as part of the Fit for 55 climate package. From 2035, only new zero-carbon cars and light commercial vehicles were to be allowed in the European Union, which in practice would mean the end of petrol and diesel cars, including most hybrid models.

However, it became clear shortly after approval that the political agreement was on less solid ground than initially thought.

A strict ban would threaten employment in the car industry

The strongest opposition to a strict ban has long come from Germany and Italy. "We need technological openness. It is not enough to put everything on one card," German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said earlier.

He said the EU must also leave room for combustion engines using synthetic fuels. Italian officials, in particular, have also expressed similar views, pointing to the risks to employment in the automotive sector.

The Commission is reportedly considering a number of concessions. On the table is not only a postponement of the deadline or a relaxation of the 100% reduction target, but also the possibility of allowing a limited proportion of cars with internal combustion engines beyond 2035.

A European Commission official told the Financial Times that "the aim is not to weaken climate policy, but to adapt it to the realities of the market and the production capacity of European industry".

The change of course is openly welcomed by the car industry

The head of a major European group told Reuters that the regulation was set at a time when there were "completely different assumptions about the market development". The pace of electrification, he said, was being hampered by high vehicle prices, underdeveloped infrastructure and weakening consumer demand. "If Europe does not want to lose production and jobs, it must act pragmatically," he says.

But critics warn that backing away from the ban sends a dangerous signal. Representatives of the electric mobility sector warn that the rule change creates uncertainty for investors. "Companies have invested billions based on clear political commitments. If the rules are now changed, it jeopardises the credibility of the EU," a representative of one of Europe's electric vehicle manufacturers' associations told Reuters.

The dispute thus once again reveals a fundamental tension in European climate policy - the conflict between political ambition and economic reality. The European Commission's proposal does not mean a definitive end to the ban on internal combustion engines.

Negotiations with the European Parliament and the Member States will follow. However, it is already clear that the initial idea of a rapid and complete end to internal combustion cars by 2035 is running up against the increasingly hard limits of reality.

(reuters, ft)