Spain backs EU decision to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2035
Paris and Madrid both agree the 2035 target must be maintained, but call for "made in Europe" incentives to help the struggling automotive industry
Spain and France have this week thrown their support behind the EU's controversial 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, urging European leaders not to back down despite growing pressure from major car manufacturing nations.
The two countries sent a strongly worded letter to EU officials after the European Commission confirmed it would review the legislation. According to the document, Paris and Madrid described zero-emission vehicles as "indispensable" to Europe's climate goals.
In the letter, both Paris and Madrid made their position very clear: without the ban, the EU won't reach its legally binding target of carbon neutrality by 2050. The issue is expected to dominate discussions when EU leaders meet in Brussels this Thursday October 30.
However, plenty of countries are far from on board with the plans. Germany, Italy and Slovakia have all pushed back hard against the transition, arguing that their car industries are taking a hammering from the forced switch to electric vehicles. These countries have specifically objected to ruling out plug-in hybrids after 2035, something France and Spain have described as "unacceptable."
Germany's automotive giants like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW have watched their dominance slip and Berlin has been vocal in opposing the manufacturing ban. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni went even further, branding the legislation an "ideology of madness" from day one. Slovakia's Robert Fico warned that "green utopias" pose a real threat to his country's motor industry.
The French and Spanish letter highlighted just how much money manufacturers have already poured into meeting these targets. They pointed to unfair competition from abroad and mounting pressure to shift production overseas. China's restrictions on rare earth metals have made things particularly difficult for European carmakers.
The letter made it plain that "this foundational choice, which has guided tens of billions of euros of industrial investment in Europe since 2023, must not be called into question."
Both nations insisted that the European car industry's future is electric, full stop.
That said, France and Spain aren't blind to the struggles facing European manufacturers. They've suggested that the upcoming review should get to the heart of the problem by offering proper incentives for companies that invest in electric vehicle production within Europe itself.
They want more flexibility around the 2030 and 2035 deadlines, but with a catch. Any wiggle room should be tied directly to how much effort each manufacturer puts into European-based production.
The current rules, which came into force in 2023, require between 50% and 80% of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission, either battery electric or hydrogen powered, before hitting 100% by 2035.
The letter explained that "the transition to electric vehicles should not lead to the relocation of jobs or greater dependence on third countries. On the contrary, the review of CO2 regulations is an opportunity to introduce flexibility to support manufacturers who produce electric vehicles and source their components in Europe."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already told member states she's decided to speed up the review of car and van emissions standards.
It's part of a wider effort by Brussels to square the circle between climate commitments and economic competitiveness. Von der Leyen wrote that "we remain committed to the principle of technological neutrality and cost efficiency (...) we are also assessing the role of zero- or low-carbon fuels in the transition to zero-emission road transport beyond 2030, such as e-fuels (...) and advanced biofuels."
The Commission has confirmed that it will formally announce the review before the year's out.
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Image: DGT
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