France May Soften Stance on Combustion Engine Ban

France appears set to change its stance on the planned ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines starting in 2035. According to Politico, Germany has reached an agreement with Paris under which France could support a relaxation of the rules. Until now, France had been among the strongest advocates of a strict ban.

In return, Berlin would support a French proposal for stricter "Made in Europe" labeling rules under the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act, aimed at accelerating and modernizing European industry. The rules are intended to determine which trading partners will be considered "trusted partners" in public procurement and subsidy programs. Germany has so far been cautious on this issue.

Austrian Minister of Economy Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer said in an interview with the website Selektiv that Austria wants to closely coordinate its position on the combustion engine ban with Germany. He added that he does not consider the European Commission's proposal sufficient, noting that it would allow only 10% of the required CO2 emissions reduction to be achieved through technology-neutral means. He stated that Europe must not use regulations to determine which technology should prevail.

(politico)