Germany to urge EU to soften 2035 ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

60% : On Wednesday, the European Commission vice-president, Stéphane Séjourné, said that the EU was willing to show "flexibility" in how the combustion engine phase-out was achieved, ahead of a commission announcement expected on 10 December.
58% : Merz's letter hardens the battle lines emerging between Germany's powerhouse car industry and those pleading with Brussels to stick to its flagship green policy, which is designed to help the EU meet its 2050 carbon-neutral target.
55% : The EU in September said it would fast track a review of its plans to give carmakers more certainty.
51% : Friedrich Merz to write to commission in attempt to protect crisis-hit automotive industry The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is to urge the EU to soften the 2035 cutoff date for the sale of combustion engine cars.
51% : The EU Commission's chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, was asked on Friday if the German position would change its direction on the 2035 deadline.
49% : Merz has repeatedly spoken out against the ban, but he needed to discuss the matter with his centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners before communicating a joint position to the EU.
45% : The EU's planned ban has faced complaints from some automakers that it was unworkable given European drivers' tepid take-up of electric vehicles.
31% : The sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the EU is scheduled to be banned in a decade's time.

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