The final decision has come. Final green light to the regulation for the stop to heat engines a petrol and diesel in 2035. European energy ministers ratified the decree by majority vote. Poland opposed the decision while Italy, Bulgaria and Romania abstained. Germany, initially opposed to the agreement, after reaching an agreement with the European Commission on theuse of e-fuels, voted in favor of the stop.
“With today's final vote, the EU has taken an important step towards zero-emission mobility. The direction is clear: in 2035, new cars and vans must have zero emissions,” the European Commission Vice-President tweeted. Frans Timmermans commenting on the ratification vote.
It's not one anyway one definitive stop for internal combustion engines: cars with internal combustion engines can be registered on condition that fuels with zero impact on emissions are used, such as synthetic ones (e-fuel).
The political agreement reached must now be formally adopted. Once the process has been completed by the European Parliament and the Council, the new rules will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force after a transitional period of 6 months.
Stop to heat engines from 2035: why did Italy abstain?
Italy had immediately shown its opposition (like Germany) to the decision to block heat engines from 2035. A solution had been found in the use of biofuels (a sector in which Italy has focused a lot in particular with Eni) to thus avoid the definitive stop to internal combustion engines. However, the Italian proposal was not considered by the Commission, considering only the German one valid on the use of e-fuels.
For the Italian government, the exclusion of biofuels from the EU regulation on sustainable mobility is not "acceptable as it is not in line with the principle of technological neutrality". Italy – reads a government note attached to the regulation on emissions – is “in favor of the electrification of light vehicles, but in our opinion, the decarbonization in the road haulage sector should be pursued in accordance with the principles of an economically sustainable and socially just transition towards zero emissions and technological neutrality”.
Pichetto: "We will demonstrate that biofuels are carbon neutral"
In his speech to the Council to announce Italy's abstention vote on the regulation, the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, reiterated the government's position: "The recognition by the Commission that internal combustion engine vehicles that will run on CO2-neutral fuels can still be produced is a positive development" - and as regards the choice to use only the 'e-fuels and not biofuels - "within the scope of the procedures for approving the legislative acts indicated by the European Commission, we will work to have biofuels also considered among the neutral fuels in terms of CO2. We consider that the provision in the Commission's declaration of synthetic fuels only represents too restrictive an interpretation”.
Electric car: first agreement for charging stations every 60 km
In an ever more perspective green of the auto sector, one was achieved today first understanding between National and the European Parliament for the construction of electric and hydrogen recharging stations for cars and heavy vehicles on the trans-European road transport network (TEN-T).
"It is a historical agreement, which will enable the transition to zero-emission transport and contribute to our goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
“The transition to a zero emission mobility it must rest on the right infrastructure, ready when you need it where you need it. We want every driver in Europe – whether behind the wheel of electric or other vehicles – to feel confident that they can travel with confidence across the continent. With this agreement, we ensure that sufficient and user-friendly options are available across Europe, for both passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles,” said Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.