Commission President: EU climate penalty: From the Leyen wants more time for carmakers

In view of the impending CO2 penalties, EU Commission President Ursula from Leyen wants to admit more time to meet EU requirements. She will propose a targeted change in the CO2 standards this month, she said in Brussels. Instead of annual compliance with the limit values, companies should have three years. A change also needs a majority among the EU countries and in the European Parliament.

When it comes to clean mobility, it is also about fairness, emphasized the top German politician. “We have to stick to the agreed goals.” More details are to be announced on Wednesday.

The background of the impending punishment for the already battered industry is the so -called fleet limit values. At the beginning of the year, these legal requirements tightened. An average of the CO2 emissions of the cars manufactured is measured.

On average of all vehicles approved in the EU in one year, this limit must not be exceeded. In 2024 it was 115.1 grams of CO2 per kilometer, per vehicle – based on the so -called WLTP test procedure. For this year it is 93.6 grams and is expected to drop to 49.5 grams in 2030.

The manufacturers have to pay punishment for too much CO2. Because sales for electric cars have not developed as well as forecasting it before, car manufacturers could exceed the limit values.

The Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) considers it “imperative to relieve the manufacturers with a view to impending fines”. Association President Hildegard Müller also emphasized that further “flexibility” would have to be taken into account.

This includes that so-called plug-in hybrids should be taken into account even after 2035, i.e. cars that have a combustion engine and a battery-operated electric motor. Actually, new cars should be allowed in the EU from 2035, which are not allowed to emit a climate -damaging CO2 during operation.

“It’s time to act now,” said von der Leyen. An industrial alliance should be founded, for example, to promote autonomous driving. Autonomous vehicles would have to come on Europe’s streets faster.

Dialogue with industry

For a few weeks now, Leyen has been exchanging a dialogue forum with car builders, union representatives, environmental organizations and suppliers. The results are to be presented in detail on Wednesday.

The European auto industry is under pressure. It sees itself exposed to increasing competition from China, but the US car maker Tesla also contests European companies in the e-car market. This industry is of crucial importance for the economy in the EU and especially in Autoland Germany.

In the announcement of Leyens, the environmental organization T&E sees an “unprecedented gift to the European auto industry”. Greenpeace sees damage to climate protection and consumers.