Auto Emission & Engine Disagreements Risk Further  Ructions

The ongoing European Council summit in Brussels could be derailed somewhat by disagreements over proposed and existing legislation/regulations around auto emissions. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is seen as keen gain exemptions for the (economically important) German autos sector that would see combustion engines running on e-fuels still allowed to be sold post-2035, when an EU ban on the polluting engine is set to come into place.

• The prime ministers of Slovakia and Czechia (also with sizeable autos sectors) have also weighed in, going further to demand discussion on the as-yet unapproved Euro 7 toxic emission standards. The rolling of the combustion engine/Euro 7 issues into the same discussions at the summit risks confrontation with the Commission, Parliament and nations that have backed the proposals.
• European Parliament President Roberta Metsola stated that “We cannot go back on deals because this is ultimately about trust between co-legislators and the credibility of the legislative process," arguing that the plan to ban combustion engines - passed by the parliament - should remain.
• It also risks internal disagreement within the German governing coalition. The environmentalist Greens - the second-largest in the three-party coalition alongside Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats and the pro-business liberal Free Democrats - are already at loggerheads with their coalition partners over plans to phase out oil and gas home heating systems. If Scholz is seen to be a major obstacle to the proposed ban on combustion engines it could further damage gov't relations in Berlin.