CDU questions EU combustion engine phase-out - Greenpeace criticizes populism

The Union in the Bundestag wants to exert pressure to prevent the phasing out of combustion engines in the EU starting from 2035. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) and the traffic light coalition government must ensure the long-term future of the "climate-friendly" combustion engine in Germany, said the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's transport policy spokesman, Thomas Bareiß, to the German Press Agency in Berlin. In a motion by the parliamentary group, the federal government is called upon to permanently secure the future of the "climate-friendly" combustion engine in Germany without an end date. Criticism of the Union's course came from the environmental organization Greenpeace.

The EU member states and the European Parliament had sealed a deal to phase out new cars with diesel and petrol engines starting from 2035. Specifically, from then on, new cars will not be allowed to emit carbon dioxide, as produced by the combustion of petrol and diesel. Exceptions are being considered for so-called e-fuels, which do not burden the atmosphere with additional CO2. 

During the European election campaign, the Union had demanded that the phase-out of the combustion engine from 2035 be revoked. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday regarding the combustion engine phase-out that she still wanted to rely on technological openness and pragmatism. She thus indicated that there could soon be a concrete proposal on how the already decided phase-out of combustion engines could be prevented. Among others, the FDP is demanding this as a condition for supporting von der Leyen, who wants to become Commission President again. Bareiß said that Wissing had promised a lot on the combustion engine topic but had implemented none of it. Clarity and a truly technology-open approach are now urgently needed, said the CDU politician. "Germany can do more than just electric cars alone."