BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The European Commission will present its proposals for possible changes to the so-called combustion engine ban next week. As confirmed by Commission sources to the German Press Agency in Brussels, the initiative is set to be unveiled next Tuesday (December 16) in Strasbourg. In addition to proposals regarding the combustion engine ban, further measures such as a battery strategy and suggestions for more environmentally friendly company cars are also expected to be introduced.

Representatives of EU member states and the European Parliament had agreed that, starting in 2035, new cars in the EU must no longer emit climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) during operation. This would, in effect, mean that new vehicles with combustion engines could no longer be registered in about ten years. The goal is to reduce emissions in the transport sector. After facing pressure from industry and member states, the European Commission announced it would review the regulation on the combustion engine ban.

Public and Politicians Also Critical of Combustion Engine Rules

According to a recent survey, around two-thirds of Germans view the current regulations critically. In the ARD "Deutschlandtrend" poll, 67 percent of respondents said they believed it was wrong for the EU to prohibit new vehicles with combustion engines from 2035 onwards.

There are also calls from EU countries and the European Parliament to significantly revise the combustion engine ban. CDU MEP Peter Liese, for example, emphasizes that more climate-friendly fuels should play a greater role and that there should be increased support for people with lower incomes.

Referring to the EU regulations, he also points out: Even if they were completely abolished, "this would not lead to the German and European auto industry rising from the ashes like a phoenix." Growing competition from China and burdensome tariffs from the United States--under President Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States--have nothing to do with the European regulation on the combustion engine ban./mjm/DP/men