• Brake Germany blocks ban on combustion cars in 2035

The German Minister of Transport, Volker Wissing, has reiterated his veto to a commitment at European level to ban the sale of vehicles that emit carbon dioxide (CO2) from 2035, despite having received a new proposal in this regard from the European Commission (EC), according to German media.

According to the weekly Der Spiegel, this proposal would introduce into the regulations a new category of vehicles with combustion engines that run on synthetic fuels, known as "e-fuels", which could be marketed from 2035.

CO2-neutral fuels

These fuels are neutral in CO2, since the one emitted by the car when it uses them is compensated by the one that has been used in its elaboration. The new vehicles would be equipped with special sensors that would prevent their engines from running on fuels made from fossil fuels.

This would create the exception demanded by the liberal Wissing to allow that after 2035 vehicles with combustion engines can be registered as long as they run on "e-fuels", considered so far the reason for the German veto that was pronounced at the last moment.

Pay a compensation fee

However, according to Der Spiegel, the compromise offered by the EC has been rejected by both Wissing and the head of the liberal party and finance minister, Christian Lindner. Transport officials are now working out a counter-proposal that will be presented in Brussels before Thursday, when a summit of European leaders kicks off.

Apparently, Wissing wants to achieve that from 2035 vehicles with traditional combustion engines can continue to be marketed, with the condition that manufacturers pay a fee that finances the generation of "e-fuels" for a volume equivalent to the consumption that would correspond to the vehicle during its useful life.

The issue has generated tensions not only in Brussels, but also between the three partners of the German government coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals, since the Ministry of the Environment, under the command of the green Steffi Lemke, has aligned itself with the European Commission.

France calls for pact to be unblocked

For his part, Olaf Scholtz, the German chancellor, has reiterated on several occasions that he hopes that the dispute will be resolved soon and has stressed that it is not a disagreement about the "content" of the regulations, but about how to implement it.

The French Minister of European Affairs, Catherine Colonna, today called on Germany to stop blocking the agreement to ban the sale of combustion cars. "We should stick to what we agreed and I have no doubt that the Germans will reach an agreement within their coalition," he said as he arrived for a meeting with ministers and secretaries of European affairs in Brussels.

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