EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has confirmed the EU's commitment to end sales of CO2-emitting cars by 2035 and impose tougher restrictions on carmakers next year, reports esgnews.com.
It comes after calls from Italy and the Czech Republic, which say declining sales of electric cars put meeting those targets at risk. Carmakers and some governments, including Italy and the Czech Republic, have pushed for a review, citing challenges with sales of electric vehicles.
During a hearing in the European Parliament, Hoekstra assured lawmakers that climate regulations provide a stable environment for investment in the sector. He stressed that many car company executives believe they can meet the targets, even as they call for significant public investment in charging infrastructure.
He also acknowledged industry concerns about infrastructure investment and noted that fears of large fines for missing carbon reduction targets may be overblown.
Industry appeals
Following industry calls for a delay to the ban, the EU adjusted its deadline to 2035 to allow the sale of e-fuel vehicles at Germany's request. However, Hoekstra firmly ruled out renegotiating current agreements to include biofuels.
"What I can't do ... is break what we've agreed on in the auto industry," he said.
Automakers remain worried, bracing for significant fines for potentially failing to meet stricter CO2 targets next year. Hoekstra noted that previous penalties, such as Volkswagen's more than 100 million euros for failing to meet 2020 emissions targets, were not as severe as feared.
We remind you that Wopke Hoekstra is awaiting a new mandate as European Commissioner for Climate, and the European Parliament's decision on the continuation of his leadership is expected later this month.
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