The European Commission is preparing to revise one of its most symbolic climate commitments: the full ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035.
According to reporting from the German tabloid Bild, the Commission’s automotive package—scheduled for release on Tuesday, 16 December—will include a significant step back from the previously agreed target.
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A 90% Emissions Reduction Instead of a 100% Cut
The shift reportedly follows an agreement between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European People’s Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber. The same package is also expected to introduce new measures concerning corporate fleets.
“For new vehicles registered from 2035, carmakers will be required to reduce CO₂ emissions by 90% for fleet targets, not 100%.” — Manfred Weber (reported to Bild)
This change effectively removes the mandate that only zero-emission (i.e., fully electric) vehicles could be sold after 2035. The 100% emissions-cut objective—long criticized by parts of the industry—now appears to be shelved indefinitely.
What Does the Remaining 10% Mean?
The Commission has not yet clarified what the remaining 10% allowance for internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles will entail. In principle, it could translate into a residual share of conventional combustion cars. Even so, it would still constitute a near-complete phaseout of fossil-fuel vehicles.
- Will plug-in hybrids or range-extender architectures be prioritized within that 10%?
- Will the new framework establish a role for e‑fuels, long promoted by certain Member States?
- How will regulators measure and enforce this allowed share?
For now, the details remain opaque.
A political win for Germany and Italy
Although the final outcome is not yet fully defined, the move marks a decisive break from the “all-electric by 2035” doctrine that has dominated EU climate policy for years.
The reversal is widely seen as a political victory for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—who has consistently opposed a strict 2035 ICE ban and advocated for the inclusion of e‑fuels—and for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni, together with only five other EU governments, recently sent a letter urging the Commission to abandon the combustion-engine prohibition.
The full picture will emerge on 16 December, when the European Commission presents its legislative package in Strasbourg. In addition to the revised emissions rules for passenger cars, the package will include proposals to accelerate the electrification of corporate fleets—another contentious measure that may impose mandatory electrification quotas on businesses.
