BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - By far the largest political group in the EU Parliament wants to reverse the so-called end of combustion engines. However, the EU climate targets should continue to be met, according to a position paper adopted at midday by the center-right EPP alliance, which also includes the CDU and CSU. More than a year and a half ago, at the urging of the FDP, the German government had already campaigned for there to be exemptions for so-called e-fuels.

The planned ban on combustion engines should be reversed in order to ensure technological neutrality, according to the paper. E-fuels, among other things, should be recognized when the relevant EU regulations are revised. The EU Commission would have to propose the necessary changes. A sufficient majority is also required in the European Parliament and among the EU member states.

The EU has actually decided that from 2035, only new cars that do not emit any climate-damaging CO2 during operation should be registered. E-fuels are synthetic fuels that can theoretically be used to operate combustion engines in a climate-neutral way. However, they are relatively expensive and are urgently needed in aviation, for example. This is because it is more difficult to operate aircraft electrically on a large scale than cars./mjm/DP/mis