Brussels and Berlin have agreed to ban internal combustion engines in 2035

The European Commission and Germany announced a deal on Saturday that will allow "the continued sale of internal combustion engine cars powered solely by synthetic e-fuels even after legislation comes into effect that establishes a policy of selling zero-emission vehicles from 2035," reports Politico. He quotes European Commission climate commissioner Frans Timmermans as saying on Twitter: "We have found an agreement with Germany on the future use of e-fuels in cars... We will now work to get the regulation on CO2 standards for cars adopted as soon as possible." Timmermans added that the Commission will "quickly follow" "legal action", the portal notes. He adds that it is "not clear" how the Commission plans to do this, but has agreed to create a new category for e-fuel vehicles under the existing "Euro 6" set of rules and then "embed" it into the controversial CO2 legislation that they mandate a phase-out date of 2035. Politico also quotes Germany's transport ministry as saying it "wants the process to be completed by the fall of 2024." The New York Times reports that Berlin's decision to seek to change EU legislation has caused a "rift" among EU governments. The portal adds that some car companies, including Porsche, supported Germany's position. However, this "sparked criticism from other manufacturers who, in anticipation of the ban, began spending huge sums to shift production towards electric cars". Reuters quoted Greenpeace's Benjamin Stephan as saying that "this stinking compromise is undermining transport climate protection and damaging Europe". The correspondent adds that Sweden, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, says EU diplomats will vote today on formally approving the 2035 phase-out law. The FT reports that Germany also clashed with France on Friday over "whether to recognize nuclear energy on par with renewable energy". The FT explains: “French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government is leading the push for more favorable treatment of nuclear power, discussed fuel handling with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over breakfast on Friday as the two sides clashed over fuel handling. The French president told reporters after the meeting that he hopes to reach an agreement with Germany, which is one of several countries that oppose French efforts to recognize nuclear energy in several legislative documents related to the ecological transition." Politico reports that the ongoing clashes between Germany and France on climate policy are fueling the frustration of other EU countries, with a minister from one country describing it as "really, really unpleasant for everyone".

Joshua Posaner, Politico, Carbon Brief