Brussels – The People’s Party, the Socialists, and the Liberals – the three groups that form the pro-European majority in the European Parliament – have reached an agreement on the automotive package currently under consideration by the European Parliament. This was announced by the leader of the Renew group, Valerie Hayer, at a press conference on the sidelines of the plenary session in Strasbourg. According to initial reports, the agreement reached by the EPP, S&D, and Renew Europe undermines the target of zero emissions for new registrations from 2035 and lowers the actual tailpipe emission reduction required of manufacturers to 87.5 per cent compared with 2021 levels, while the remaining 12.5 percentage points will be covered by a 7.5 per cent allowance for green steel produced in Europe and a 5 per cent unconditional margin. “I’m not entirely sure how official it is, but an agreement was reached last night between the various parties involved to move forward together,” said Hayer. “I am therefore confident in our ability to continue reaching agreements, even on complex and sensitive – yet absolutely necessary – issues such as this,” she added.
For the Forza Italia MEP, Salvatore De Meo, “the agreement reached between the EPP, the Socialists, and Renew to overcome the total ban on internal combustion engines from 2035 represents a significant political success” because “it paves the way for moving beyond ideological bans and upholding the principle of technological neutrality, recognising the role of renewable fuels and the possibility of retaining internal combustion engines even beyond 2035.” For De Meo, this is “a fundamental shift in approach to protect the European automotive industry, guaranteeing businesses the freedom to invest and innovate and citizens the freedom to choose, without impositions, the technology best suited to their needs.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
