Zero emission vehicles: first ‘Fit for 55′ deal will end the sale of new CO2 emitting cars in Europe by 2035

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Commission welcomes the agreement reached last night by the European Parliament and Council ensuring all new cars and vans registered in Europe will be zero-emission by 2035. As an intermediary step towards zero emissions, the new CO2 standards will also require average emissions of new cars to come down by 55% by 2030, and new vans by 50% by 2030. This agreement marks the first step in the adoption of the ‘Fit for 55′ legislative proposals tabled by the Commission in July 2021, and demonstrates ahead of COP27 the EU’s domestic implementation of its international climate commitments.

Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said: “The agreement sends a strong signal to industry and consumers: Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility. European carmakers are already proving they are ready to step up to the plate, with increasing and increasingly affordable electric cars coming to the market. The speed at which this change has happened over the past few years is remarkable. It is no wonder that this file is the first one in the entire Fit for 55 package where Member States and the European Parliament have come to a final deal.”

This clear signal to manufacturers and citizens will accelerate the production and sale of low- and zero-emission vehicles and put road transport on a firm path to climate neutrality by 2050. This new legislation will make the EU’s transport system more sustainable, provide cleaner air for Europeans and marks an important step in delivering the European Green Deal. It clearly shows the commitment of the EU to reach its climate goals and shows that Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine is not slowing our clean energy transition but rather accelerating our work and making us progress faster to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050.

Next steps

Today’s provisional agreement now requires formal adoption by the Parliament and the Council. Once this process is completed, the new legislation will be published in the Official Journal of the Union and enter into force.

Background

The revision of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans is one of the ‘Fit for 55′ proposals presented by the Commission in July 2021 to make the EU’s climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

Achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to Europe becoming the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050 and making the European Green Deal a reality. The legislative tools are set to deliver on the targets agreed in the European Climate Law and fundamentally transform our economy and society for a fair, green and prosperous future.