Trilogue agrees on end of combustion engine in 2035

At 8:45 p.m., the trilogue sealed the end of the combustion engine technology in the EU in 2035. Negotiators from the European Parliament and member states left no door open for the internal combustion engine to run on synthetic fuels after 2035. The option of running cars on nearly carbon-neutral e-fuels, even after 2035, is not anchored in the legal text. Furthermore, it was decided how manufacturers must reduce the average emissions of newly registered cars and light commercial vehicles by 2030. The carbon dioxide fleet limit for passenger cars must be reduced by 55 percent by 2030 compared with the value at the end of 2021, while the value for light commercial vehicles is 50 percent. In 2026, the EU Commission will have to present a progress report. It was also agreed to evaluate the impact of the combustion engine phase-out on jobs. However, no money is earmarked in case of widespread loss of jobs. As always, the informal compromise reached in the trilogue must be confirmed by the member states and the parliament. But there is no doubt that both co-legislators will agree.