Lead MEP proposes deeper rollback of CO2 limits for cars and vans

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Euractiv or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The European Parliament’s lead negotiator for CO₂ emissions reform, Massimiliano Salini, is proposing a deeper rollback of 2035 emissions limits for cars and vans
• His amendments would reduce the effective reduction target for passenger cars to about 73% and for vans to 80%, while giving credit for biofuels, synthetic e-fuels, and “clean steel” 
• Plug-in hybrids and small European EVs would also benefit from eased compliance rules

🔭 The context: The EU had originally aimed for a full ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035
• Industry pressure and lobbying have already led to a softer 90% target under the Commission’s December proposal
• Salini’s draft would push the rollback even further, amid ongoing debates over technological readiness, market constraints, and fuel price volatility

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Weakening the 2035 CO₂ targets could lock Europe into decades of oil dependence
• It could also affect the transition to electric mobility, increasing lifecycle emissions from fossil-fuel vehicles, and undermining the continent’s climate goals and investments in charging infrastructure and battery production

⏭️ What’s next: The proposals will be debated by the European Parliament’s environment committee on 2 June, with amendments possible both in committee and during the full plenary session
• Final negotiations with the Council of the EU could extend to November

💬 One quote: “If this gets adopted, it will lock Europe into oil dependence for decades to come and jeopardise billions of investment in charging and battery factories.” — Lucien Mathieu, Transport & Environment campaigner

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