Overview
- European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber said the target for new car fleets would drop to a 90% CO2 cut from 2035, with no 100% goal even in 2040, according to Bild, but the Commission has not yet published a proposal.
- A draft under discussion would keep plug‑in hybrids and extended‑range models on the market to 2040 if they use advanced biofuels or e‑fuels, though limits on volumes and fuel standards remain unresolved.
- The Commission’s auto package was expected around December 16 in Strasbourg, yet meetings have slipped and the presentation could be postponed.
- Weeks of pressure from member states and industry, notably Italy and Poland with push from Germany, drove the rethink, while Spain and Green lawmakers warn it would slow decarbonisation and risk loopholes.
- The revision is set to come within a wider package covering a battery strategy, Omnibus regulatory simplifications, and corporate fleet electrification, with a possible delay to updating real‑world PHEV emissions testing.