AOn Wednesday evening, the coalition committee is to decide how the federal government will position itself on the combustion ban next week. On Tuesday, the environment ministers in Luxembourg are expected to agree on this and other major parts of the climate package. The position of the federal government could play a decisive role in this.
Finally, there are a number of other countries opposed to the Commission’s proposed 2035 ban on internal combustion engines. The nervousness in Berlin was all the greater on Wednesday. The Greens heavily criticized the FDP. Germany’s reputation as a reliable partner in Europe is at stake if the federal government does not support the end of the combustion engine in 2035.
In the European Union, approval of the EU Commission’s proposals for a climate-friendly transport policy is slipping. The entire “Fit for 55” climate package from July last year will be burdened.
The Environment Minister is on the side of the Commission
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) is in charge of the German position. She wants to support the Commission’s proposal to only allow zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The “entire federal government” agreed on this line in March, Lemke emphasized. A corresponding instruction, which is available to the FAZ, was also coordinated with the Ministry of Finance. In Brussels, the German ambassador has also represented this position in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, however, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) said that “I in the federal government, we in the federal government will not agree to this legislation.” This was preceded by an intensive public discussion about the ban on combustion engines after the European Parliament approved the ban in 2035 already agreed in the week after Pentecost. The EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers decide on this matter on an equal footing.
Lindner’s statements were interpreted in such a way that he wanted Germany to abstain. This is not an option for the Ministry of the Environment. Those who are pushing for approval in the Council of Ministers point out that the course has also been agreed with the Federal Chancellery. For Chancellor Scholz (SPD), it would mean a loss of face if Germany changed its stance and supported the proposal “with all the elements presented”.
The French Presidency is pushing for a speedy agreement
It would also be a taunt to the French Presidency, which is leading the negotiations and is pushing with all its might for an agreement to be reached before the end of its term at the end of June. If Germany abstains, there is a risk that the Commission’s proposal for a climate-friendly orientation of transport will not receive the necessary votes. It is to be feared that other states will no longer participate.
In fact, there is already a group in the Council of Ministers with Italy, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for whom a ban on combustion engines in 2035 is going too far. Together with Germany, they would have the necessary blocking minority to block the proposal. It is irrelevant whether Germany votes against or abstains.
In addition, the proposal for a ban on combustion engines is closely linked to the other legislative proposals from the climate package. A blockade of this individual proposal will have an impact on the entire climate package. Due to the complexity of the EU climate package, preparations are currently in full swing. The EU ambassadors negotiated for hours on Wednesday. There will be more talks on Friday and possibly Saturday.
Lindner and his party colleague, Transport Minister Volker Wissing, are particularly opposed to the fact that combustion engines cannot be used after 2035, even with CO2-neutral e-fuels. You need openness to technology, they demand. Supporters of the proposal point out that e-fuels are needed to decarbonize air and shipping traffic. Refueling with e-fuels should also remain possible for vehicles such as ambulances or garbage trucks.
