The end of gasoline and diesel engines in the EU | From 2035, only electric vehicles will be sold

The measure is intended to meet European climate goals, especially the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.

The European Union plans to end the sale of cars with classic engines by 2035, the EU announced on Wednesday.

That proposal was submitted in July last year, and the green light for its acceptance was given by the European ministers for environmental protection at yesterday’s meeting in Luxembourg.

Its acceptance in the European Parliament would mean a de facto halt to the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles and a full transition to electric cars in the EU from 2035.

The measure is intended to meet European climate goals, especially the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.

At the request of countries including Germany and Italy, the EU also agreed to consider allowing the use of alternative technologies such as synthetic fuels or plug-in hybrids, as long as they do not emit greenhouse gases.

Environment ministers also approved a five-year extension of the exemption from the carbon dioxide reduction obligation granted to so-called “niche” manufacturers, or those producing fewer than 10,000 vehicles a year, until the end of 2035.

The clause, sometimes called the Ferrari amendment, will particularly benefit luxury brands.

This is a big challenge for our automotive industry, acknowledged the French Minister of Environmental Transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher.

But she said it was a “necessity” in the face of competition from China and the United States, which are investing heavily in electric vehicles, which are seen as the future of the auto industry.