Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday to ban the sale of newly produced diesel cars by 2035. If approved by the European Council, this will become the most powerful law in the world to phase out gasoline cars. Although the measure must still be debated and passed into law by the Council, the parliamentary vote is considered the most critical step in the process. Full approval may mean that the sales of hybrid electric vehicles in EU Member States will decline, and a rapid transition to all electric vehicles.
The measure gained support after a series of vetoes on other key climate policies on Wednesday. The centre right in the European Parliament has expressed opposition to a 100% ban by 2035. Some lawmakers have called for a 90% ban, which means that one tenth of all new car sales may still be internal combustion engines. Jan huitema, the Dutch lawmaker who led the drafting of the policy, said: "I am very pleased with this result."
Parliament earlier rejected three other key proposals, including its core policy to reform the carbon market. Peter liese, a member of Parliament from Germany, told reporters earlier on Wednesday that his center right EPP group did not support the 100% ban, adding that diesel locomotives can still play a role if the technology around low-carbon synthetic fuels is improved over time.
"We don't think that politicians should decide that electric vehicles or synthetic fuels are the best choice. Personally, I think that if we provide them with the necessary infrastructure, most consumers will buy electric vehicles. That's what we need to do."
He added that internal combustion vehicles using synthetic fuels may become more competitive than electric vehicles in the future. Liese said that for many developing countries in Africa and Asia that buy European cars, they may also be more realistic, especially if these countries cannot turn to renewable energy based economies in the coming decades.
In August last year, the European Commission announced for the first time the plan framework for phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles. In order to promote the transition to electric vehicles, the Commission said that it would require 27 EU Member States to expand vehicle charging capacity. A charging station will be installed every 60 km (37.3 miles) on the main highway, and the minimum tax rate for gasoline and diesel will be increased.
The automotive industry plays a vital role in the European economy, accounting for 7% of its GDP and supporting 14.6 million jobs in the region. However, transportation is the only sector with rising greenhouse gas emissions. In 2017, road vehicles accounted for 21% of carbon dioxide emissions.
The UK, which is no longer a member of the EU, announced last year that it would ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2030, and that the sale of some new hybrid vehicles would continue until 2035.
Before voting in favour of this measure, the European Parliament unexpectedly rejected the EU proposal to establish a more ambitious emissions trading scheme, a carbon border tax and a social climate fund. Liese, the parliament's chief negotiator on carbon market reform, urged his colleagues to try again in the committee to find a proposal that could win support.
Setting more ambitious targets for the plan and forcing some of the largest polluters to buy carbon credits are the core legislation of the group in its "fit for 55", which is a roadmap to reduce emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. This goal is one of the most ambitious climate goals of any major economy.
The economy composed of EU Member States is the third largest pollution source in the world.