From 2035, no new vans or cars with internal combustion engines will be sold in the European Union.
The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, said negotiators from member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission agreed that automakers must achieve a 100 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2035.
It would effectively ban the sale of new cars and vans that run on petrol or diesel on the 27 block.
The ban is part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” climate protection package, which aims to reduce climate-damaging emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
“We have just concluded negotiations on CO2 levels for cars,” tweeted French MEP Pascal Canfin, who heads the European Parliament’s Environment Commission.
“Historic EU climate decision that finally confirms the target of 100 percent zero-emission vehicles in 2035 with intermediate phases between 2025 and 2030.”
Cars are currently responsible for 12% of all CO2 emissions in the EU bloc, while transport accounts for about a quarter overall.
The EU member states must now adopt the regulation into national law.
There were no plans to ban vehicles with internal combustion engines. Instead, it is hoped that all of these will eventually be replaced by electric vehicles.
lo/sms (AFP, dpa, Portal)