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Every year on New Year’s Eve, Germans watch a sketch with the catchphrase “the same procedure as last year” — probably to remind each other that, no matter what happens, some things just stay the same.
On Friday (9 February), EU ambassadors adopted the new CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, following a three-day row where Germany risked thwarting the majority.
After previously supporting the deal, liberal FDP (Renew), part of Germany’s three-party ruling coalition, blocked the agreement (and without Germany, no sufficient majority was expected).
What followed was a short-lived period, resembling the same procedure last year, where Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) blocked the de-facto ban for combustion engine cars as of 2035.
“The same procedure as last year, Mr. Wissing?” — “The same procedure as every year, Ursula,” to slightly adapt the sketch.
The very same agreement was struck, which commits the Commission to creating a new category of “e-fuels-only” trucks, which will continue to be allowed even after 2040.
On public TV, Wissing justified his last-minute intervention with the need to create “planning security for e-fuels”, which is funny because his very own ministry had just a few weeks ago announced some significant funding cuts for e-fuels.
Planning certainty for e-fuels is indeed crucial, as Europe is currently unable to produce enough e-fuels even to meet its green aviation targets. But maybe next time, Wissing should start with his own homework?
Source: Euractiv
