BERLIN/WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX) - German Transport Minister Volker Wissing and representatives of the auto industry have warned the EU Commission against too tough regulation and possible job cuts in connection with the planned Euro 7 emissions standard. "Regulation must promote mobility, not prevent it," Wissing told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Berlin on Monday. Systematic shortages due to new rules would not only endanger the further ramp-up of e-mobility, but increasingly also jobs, he said. "If vehicles become more and more expensive without more environmental protection being associated with them, mobility will become a luxury good," the FDP politician criticized. "We need participation in the area through individual mobility - also in the future."

Manufacturers and industry associations had already repeatedly stated that the introduction of the necessary technology to comply with stricter limits on nitrogen oxide emissions would be too demanding in terms of time and would likely make cars more expensive - especially smaller models in relation to the overall price. The Commission presented its proposals in November.

There are fears that a corresponding drop in demand for combustion engines could also lead to the disappearance of a number of jobs. Volkswagen stressed: "We share the assessment that Euro 7 in its current form would have negative employment effects for the European automotive industry." Environmental organizations, on the other hand, are calling for an end to classic diesel and gasoline engines as soon as possible.

According to the Brussels-based EU authority, road traffic is the biggest source of air pollution in cities. The new standard is intended to ensure cleaner vehicles and better air quality to protect the health of citizens and the environment. Euro 7 aims to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from cars by 35 percent by 2035, and by more than 50 percent for buses and trucks. NOx compounds were also at the center of the emissions scandal, which resulted in several cities imposing partial diesel driving bans.

"When the automotive industry warns that regulation makes vehicles unnecessarily more expensive and hinders the acceleration of e-mobility, this should be taken very seriously," Wissing said. "The EU Commission cannot on the one hand demand high climate protection targets and on the other hand prevent their achievement through regulation." He added that the internal combustion engine could also combine climate protection and mobility with synthetic fuels: "Europe must not prevent this technological solution."

The automotive states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony had called on the German government not to accept the current plans for Euro 7. They fear significant disadvantages for the industry if implemented, according to a letter from the state premiers to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) obtained by dpa. The directive is to apply to newly registered vehicles from July 2025. The European Parliament and EU states must approve the proposals, and negotiations are underway. In theory, the Commission's concept can still be changed.

In an open letter to EU leaders, the chairman of the European automotive industry association Acea, Renault CEO Luca de Meo, cited an expected cost increase for vehicles due to Euro 7 of between seven and ten percent. Accordingly, up to 300,000 jobs could be at stake. The German industry association VDA and individual companies were also critical of the plan.

Volkswagen also spoke of "completely unrealistic time targets" - manufacturers and authorities could hardly implement them as quickly as required. The stringency of the standards would tie up "large personnel and financial resources that we could use more sensibly and in a future-oriented manner for electrification." The price estimates cited by de Meo are correct.

The auto industry also complains that the criteria for emissions tests under the new standards are far too specific. "Air quality is not helped if we make the exhaust emissions of a new combustion engine at full throttle and horse trailer in first gear on a mountain pass in the Alps the measure of all things," VW said. Real-world use looks different - while the required new exhaust technology is likely to make "especially inexpensive small cars considerably more expensive."

A BMW spokesman told the trade journal "Automobilwoche": "Euro7 should primarily regulate pollutants and not be instrumentalized for an earlier end of the combustion engine. This would make the product range unnecessarily more expensive." Some experts also emphasize that overly ambitious cleaning technology will have an impact, especially on small cars, and anticipate a more "elitist" mobility in the future.

Greenpeace demanded that automakers help zero-emission powertrains achieve a breakthrough in the coming years. "If Wissing wants to ensure long-term job security in the industry, he should do everything he can to put the German auto industry at the forefront of the mobility revolution," said transport expert Benjamin Stephan. "More ambitious emissions standards will help."/hoe/DP/stw