The Council of the European Union (EU) decided this Tuesday to prohibit, from 2035, the sale of new passenger cars with combustion engines, with only those with zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions being allowed.

EU environment ministers, meeting in council in Brussels, further agreed that, between 2030 and 2034, CO2 emissions from new cars must be reduced by 55%, compared to 2021 levels.

The approved text also provides, according to a statement, "a regulatory incentive mechanism for vehicles with zero and low emissions, which will be in force from 2025 until the end of 2029".

As part of this mechanism, as part of the 'Fit for 55' package (Goal 55), if a manufacturer meets certain benchmarks for the sales of zero and low emissions vehicles, it may be rewarded with less stringent CO2 emissions targets, the reference value set at 25% for cars and 17% for vans.

Credits: envato elements; Author: donut3771;

The document also addresses the issue of ecological fuels, predicting that the European Commission will present a "proposal for the registration of vehicles that operate exclusively with neutral fuels in terms of CO2, after 2035, in accordance with EU legislation, outside the scope of the norms of the fleet, and in line with the EU's climate neutrality objective".

The Objective 55 package is a set of proposals aimed at revising and updating EU legislation and creating new initiatives with the aim of ensuring that EU policies are in line with the climate objectives agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.