First Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera said Brussels was not considering delaying the ban on the sale of internal combustion engine cars in the EU after 2035.
Ribera made the statement on Tuesday after visiting ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent. She also recalled that “the reasons for which those targets were set [the EU ban] are still valid, and in principle there is no intention to change [the timeline].”
It is not something that the European Commission is considering, and I would say that it is not something that practically anybody is considering.
The vice-president warned that the European car industry would need help and flexibility in moving to a greener and less polluting industry. Meanwhile, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the EU plummeted, with some companies planning to close plants due to aggressive competition from China. One of the competition’s victims has been German car giant Volkswagen, which recently announced the closure of several plants in the country and the loss of thousands of jobs.
Ribera also addressed the issue of high energy prices affecting European industry, recognising that “there is no quick fix” to the issue.
We know that affordable, predictable and stable prices for electricity are connected to renewable energy solutions available in the short term. But we know that this is not enough. We need to combine different energy sources. Pay attention to natural gas as a basic feedstock for many industrial processes, not only for heating.
EU politicians are cautious about the imminent return of US President-elect Donald Trump as the Republican leader has promised to impose new tariffs. However, Ribera said that “we are prepared to defend our principles, values, interests, and the European project” in case of new trade wars with the US.
