European Union lawmakers have backed easing the bloc's planned 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, in a move that would let combustion-engine technology remain on sale beyond that date.

The European Parliament's environment committee voted on Wednesday, 4 November, to cut the required reduction in new-car exhaust emissions from 100 per cent to 87.5 per cent by 2035. Manufacturers could claim additional credits worth 7.5 percentage points for using low-carbon steel produced in the EU, bringing the effective target to 95 per cent.

Under rules agreed in 2023, new cars and vans must cut fleet-average exhaust carbon dioxide emissions by 100 per cent by 2035 against 2021 levels, effectively ending sales of new conventional petrol and diesel cars, including hybrids.

That goes further than the European Commission, which late last year proposed a 90 per cent reduction. The compromise came from the centre-right European People's Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe. The European People's Party said it had secured a major victory for the car industry by reversing the combustion engine ban.

The committee also voted to cut the 2035 target for vans from 100 per cent to 80 per cent, with the same 7.5 per cent cap on steel credits, and to downgrade corporate-fleet zero-emission targets to aspirational goals.

The decision is not yet law. The full Parliament is expected to vote on the package in December, before negotiations with EU governments settle the final text.

The vote has no legal force in the UK. Britain still plans to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, with hybrids allowed until 2035, and the government is reviewing its Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, with a response due by the end of 2026.

[Source: 947thebeast.com](https://947thebeast.com/2026/11/04/european-lawmakers-push-to-weaken-car-co2-emissions-targets/) | [Source: fleetpoint.org](https://www.fleetpoint.org/environment-news/zero-emission-vehicle-mandate/eu-committee-weakens-2035-car-emissions-target/)