The Italian government politicians have voted ‘No’ to the EU’s plan to ban combustion engines by 2035. The agreement to cut CO2 emissions for cars and light commercial vehicles reached last year as part of the measures envisaged by the EU Commission’s Fitfor55 legislation, will see to end of the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles, fuelled by petrol or diesel.
the Italian Government has announced it will reject the legislation.
Enterprise and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso said: “With our ‘No’ vote we have woken up Europe. We hope others will understand that it is time for reason, certainly not resignation. Change is possible.
“Our taking such a clear and sharp stance, together with that of other countries such as Poland and Bulgaria, has prompted further reflection.”
He added: “We need to convince the European institutions to act with more pragmatism, according to a vision more in line with reality, to the challenge of ecological and industrial transition.”
Urso claimed it is crucial “not to move from energy subordination to Russia to an even worse subordination to Chinese technology”.
The move only needs a qualified majority to survive but Poland has already backed the Italian position, with Bulgaria and Germany, the debate on the regulation remains open in Brussels.
Speaking to Euractiv, MP Luca Squeri, energy manager for Forza Italia, said: “We must not bind ourselves to a single technology, there must be a choice.
E-fuels are also absolutely usable as an innovative source of mobility. If Berlin’s proposal is accepted, Italy will also give the green light.”
“If we manage to have a blocking minority, we could make common sense prevail and defeat an ideology that is doing damage to Italy and the whole of Europe.”
The Commission has also started the process of reviewing the regulation for CO2 emissions for buses and trucks.
The proposal provides for zero emissions from 2030 for buses circulating in the city and a 90 percent cut in emissions for fleets of other heavy vehicles, starting from 2040.
The proposal, presented last month, according to which registered heavy commercial vehicles will have to reduce CO2 emissions progressively, by 45 percent in 2030, by 65 percent by 2030 and by 90 percent by 2040.