Luxembourg (dpa) – France and Spain are backing the proposed all-encompassing ban on combustion engines, set to take effect in 2035. In a joint document, both nations caution against diluting this objective, asserting that the EU decision must remain intact. The paper, available to the German Press Agency, declares, “The future of the European automotive industry will be electric.”
The Commission has indicated it will reassess the related regulation later this year, prompted by pressures from the automotive sector. Paris and Madrid highlight that since 2023, significant investments have been made in the electrification of Europe’s automotive industry, emphasizing the need to uphold this strategic choice.
According to the document, France and Spain are keen that the upcoming review maintains the 2035 target and environmental goals regarding CO2 emissions. In particular, they stress that the zero-emission target for 2035 must not be compromised.
France and Spain also seek relaxations
Nonetheless, France and Spain are advocating for some relaxations, which they propose should be closely linked to production efforts within Europe. They suggest implementing super-credits for vehicles that have a high European value-added component.
This initiative aims to further reduce CO2 emissions. However, it remains uncertain whether this could permit the sale of new combustion engines—potentially by accounting for additional emissions saved—post-2035.
Both countries also oppose any preferential treatment for plug-in hybrid vehicles after 2035, citing a 2024 EU Commission study showing their real emissions are 3.5 times higher than those recorded during approval tests.
Criticism from the German automotive industry
In response, the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) stated that “the proposals from France and Spain predominantly lead in the wrong direction.” They argue that imposing EU value creation requirements for the automotive sector is fundamentally flawed, as global supply chains are intertwined. They warn that protectionism could provoke retaliatory measures and fail to address location disadvantages. (October 21)
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