By Kate Abnett
Brussels (Reuters) – The European People’s Party (PPE), the main group within the European Parliament, reported on Wednesday of its intention to challenge the European Union project (EU) aimed at prohibiting the sale of new heat -engine cars from 2035.
PPE deputies believe that this prohibition constitutes a handicap for European car manufacturers while its supporters consider it crucial for the ecological ambitions of the block and the transformation of the automotive sector.
Jens Gieseke, a German European deputy and EPP negotiator on car policies, told Reuters that the group would use a planned revision of the policy in the third or fourth quarter to request amendments.
“It was a mistake to ban the combustion engine,” said Jens Gieseke.
“If fuels reduce the carbon footprint, it should be recognized,” he added.
The European Commission – whose president, Ursula von der Leyen, belongs to the PPE – has so far resisted the pressures aimed at weakening the prohibition policy, which, according to it, provides a certainty in terms of investment.
However, the Commission has advanced last week the revision of the policy, scheduled for 2026, this year, and sold to the pressure of car manufacturers by granting them three years, instead of one, to comply with a new objective of limiting CO2 emissions.
Any modification of the EU automobile policy must be approved by a majority of the European Parliament and a reinforced majority of the EU countries.
The PPE group, which holds 188 of the 720 seats in the European Parliament, would need the support of other parliamentary groups for any change.
If the right -wing European deputies are in favor of a modification of the EU automotive policy, the socialists and the environmentalists oppose it.
During a debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday, the socialist European deputy Mohammed Chahim warned against the “nostalgia” of traditional vehicles which would risk stifling innovation.
“I have the impression of being in the Nokia board of directors when the iPhone has just been released,” he said.
(Written by Kate Abnett; Etienne Breban; edited by Blandine Hénault)
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