U-turn by Conservatives and Social Democrats Puts Jobs at Risk

Just now (Wednesday, November 4), a majority of Conservatives, Social Democrats, and Liberals in the European Parliament’s lead Committee on the Environment has decided to move away from the phase-out of combustion engines scheduled for 2035. The Committees on Transport and Industry had already signaled their support for scrapping the phase-out in 2035. The European Parliament’s position now falls even further behind the agreement reached between Germany and France. A plenary vote is scheduled for December 15 or 16.

Michael Bloss MEP, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur for CO2 emission standards for cars in the lead Environment Committee, commented:

“This U-turn by Conservatives and Social Democrats puts jobs at risk. Delaying, postponing, and failing to act has not worked so far, and it is a poor strategy for the future. Sales of electric vehicles are skyrocketing, yet the response from Conservatives and Social Democrats is a policy that runs counter to both the market and consumer demand.

“It has long been clear that the future of the automobile is electric. The only remaining question is whether these vehicles will come from the EU or from China, and right now, China has the lead. By wavering and pinning hopes on biofuels and plug-in hybrids, we will lose the race to catch up. This political flip-flopping is toxic to investment and it is even more damaging than the high production costs within the EU. We already have the factories and the skilled workforce needed to build top-tier electric vehicles; what is missing is clear, consistent support from policymakers.”

Background

The agreement between conservatives, social democrats, and liberals lowers the 2035 target for electric cars from 100 to 87.5 percent and creates new exemptions for plug-in hybrids and biofuels. According to calculations by T&E, manufacturers would only need to achieve an electric car share of 39 percent in 2030.