(EurActiv, 29 Jun 2022) Environment ministers from the EU’s 27 member states approved to end the sale of vehicles with combustion engines by 2035 in Europe, officials announced early Wednesday (29 June), marking a major victory in the EU’s bid to reduce CO2 emissions to net-zero by 2050.
As of 20305, new vehicles put on the EU market will need to reduce their CO2 emissions by 100%. An intermediate objective of 55% for cars and 50% for vans was agreed for 2030, the Council of the European Union said in a statement posted after a long night of negotiations which ended at 02.10 in the morning.
The measure, first proposed in July 2021, will mean a de facto halt to sales of petrol and diesel cars as well as light commercial vehicles and a complete shift to electric engines in the European Union from 2035.