The EU is considering the sale of some new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035, but the zero-emissions target remains in force

Keeping a role for cars with combustion engines after 2035 remains a proposal under consideration by the European institutions, not a change already adopted. On October 20, 2026, the European Parliament file concerning the revision of CO₂ standards for new cars and vans is still awaiting a decision by the competent committee. The European Commission proposes replacing the 100% reduction with a 90% target, accompanied by compensation for the remaining emissions. Meanwhile, France and Germany announced, on October 16, a common position calling for greater flexibility and support for European production.

In brief

The target currently in force provides for a 100% reduction in CO₂ emissions for fleets of new cars and vans from 2035. The Commission proposal has not yet replaced this rule.

The draft would allow a 90% reduction at the tailpipe, with credits to offset the remaining emissions through low-emission steel produced in the EU and certain categories of renewable fuels.

The percentages concern the average emissions of new fleets. A 90% reduction does not mean that 10% of the cars sold may automatically have any combustion engine.

The regulation on new fleets does not require cars already registered to be scrapped in 2035 and does not itself prohibit their circulation.

Parliament indicates November 23 as an indicative date for the plenary session. It is a calendar milestone, not a completed vote or a guarantee that the new legislation will be adopted then.

The change is proposed in the automotive package presented by the Commission on December 16, 2025. For 2035, the draft changes the European target for the average emissions of new cars and vans to a 90% reduction compared with the 2021 reference target. Under the current form of the legislation, the objective for both categories is 0 grams of CO₂ per kilometre, corresponding to a 100% reduction.

The standards apply at the level of the manufacturer's new-vehicle fleet, with the calculation and cooperation mechanisms provided for by the regulation. They do not establish a simple quota of petrol, diesel, or electric cars. The share of each technology depends on vehicle emissions, fleet composition, and compliance with the other conditions. The number of cars with a particular type of engine that may be sold cannot be directly inferred from an emissions-reduction target.

The proposal also retains an additional obligation for the emissions remaining from 2035. The manufacturer would have to cover them through the credits defined in the draft. Credits for fuels would be calculated according to the eligible quantities placed on the EU market and the associated emissions savings. Those for steel would take into account the quantity and emissions intensity of low-emission steel produced in the EU and used in the manufacturer's new vehicles.

The draft caps the contribution of fuel credits at the equivalent of 3% of the 2021 European reference target, and that of steel at 7%. These limits are expressed in relation to the emissions target, not the number of cars. Eligibility conditions and calculation methods matter, so the proposal is not equivalent to the unconditional removal of the final ten percentage points.

The Commission explains that the new architecture would allow a role after 2035 for plug-in hybrids, extended-range vehicles, and certain cars with internal combustion engines, alongside electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. The possibility depends on compliance with the standards and the compensation mechanism. The draft does not give each manufacturer the freedom to market any combination of technologies without limits.

For current owners, the essential distinction is between the rules for new registrations and the use of the existing fleet. The regulation on emissions from new fleets does not require the owner of a car that is already registered to scrap or replace it in 2035. Nor does it guarantee that any car will be able to circulate anywhere, regardless of the applicable national or local regulations.

The joint Franco-German declaration of October 16 supports combining decarbonisation objectives with regulatory flexibility and incentives for investment, research, European production, and resilient supply chains. It is the political position of two governments, without the legal effect of a regulation adopted by Parliament and the Council.

The debate on emissions intersects with the proposed regulation to accelerate industry, presented on March 4, 2026. It includes criteria concerning European origin in certain public procurement procedures and forms of support, including for vehicles. The conditions would influence access to the public measures concerned. They do not constitute a general import ban on cars manufactured outside the EU.

The Commission's package also proposes adjustments before 2035. Manufacturers could balance emissions performance over the 2030–2032 period, the reduction target for new vans in 2030 would fall from 50% to 40%, and small electric cars produced in the EU would receive favourable treatment in the calculation of fleet emissions. These proposed measures are distinct from the flexibility for 2025–2027, already adopted in June 2025.

In Parliament, the committee responsible for the CO₂ standards file is ENVI, for environment, climate, and food safety. The rapporteur is Italian MEP Massimiliano Salini, from the European People's Party. The legislative register indicates November 23, 2026 as the indicative date for consideration in plenary, while the current stage remains awaiting the committee's decision. Adoption of the amendments requires the agreement of Parliament and the Council, in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure.

For buyers and manufacturers, the outcome will establish the conditions under which different technologies can enter the new-car market after 2035. Until an amendment is adopted, the legal benchmark remains the 100% reduction target. Neither the Commission proposal nor the Franco-German declaration can be treated as an exemption already available.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/viitorul-masinilor-cu-motoare-termice-dupa-2035-provoaca-noi-dispute-in-parlamentul-european