European decarbonisation targets open the door to ecofuels

Council and European Parliament have agreed to ban CO2-emitting vans by 2035, but urge the Commission to present “a proposal for the registration of vehicles running exclusively on neutral fuels”.

In 2026, the Commission will assess progress towards achieving decarbonisation targets.

The ban on the sale of internal combustion vans and passenger cars in the European Union by 2035 leaves a loophole for those vehicles that run on eco-fuels, as requested by part of the transport sector. The Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on Thursday “on stricter CO2 emission standards for new cars and vans,” both European institutions explain in a statement.

However, the agreement includes language on_CO2-neutral fuels. -so-called eco-fuels-, according to which, after consulting stakeholders, the Commission will present a proposal for the registration of vehicles running exclusively on CO2-neutral fuels after 2035, in accordance with EU legislation and in accordance with the EU’s climate-neutrality objective.

Ecofuels replace oil with urban waste, agricultural waste or captured carbon dioxide. In Spain, different employers have joined in the Platform for the Promotion of Eco fuels that pressures both the national government and the European Union to bet on these alternatives to gasoline and diesel.

The ban on the sale of polluting vans and passenger cars was announced since the Council and the European Parliament set 2035 as the date to ban them. Since then, both bodies have negotiated between them and on Thursday they have set a target of reducing_CO2 emissions of 55% for new cars and 50% for new vans by 2030 compared to 2021 levels. The Commission must now publish the directive with the objectives agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.

The agreement includes a review clause that will ensure that, in 2026, the Commission thoroughly assesses the progress made towards achieving the 100% emission reduction targets and the need to review these targets taking into account technological developments, including with regard to plug-in hybrid technologies and the importance of a viable and socially equitable transition to zero emissions.

Source: Transport Route