EU committee weakens 2035 car emissions target
MEPs on the European Parliament’s environment committee have voted to ease the EU’s 2035 emissions target for new cars by more than the European Commission proposed. The vote took place on Wednesday 4 November. It poses an awkward question for Britain. The UK still plans to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, five years before the EU’s softer deadline. If Brussels confirms the change, can Westminster hold its line? This article explains the vote, the reaction and the likely effect on the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate.
What did the environment committee vote for?
Current EU law requires new cars and vans to cut CO2 emissions by 100% from 2035. That effectively ends sales of new petrol and diesel models. In late 2025, the Commission proposed softening the car target to a 90% reduction. The committee went further. MEPs backed a compromise from three centrist groups: the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe. It sets the 2035 car target at 87.5%.
Credits for low-carbon steel produced in the EU can cover an additional 7.5 percentage points, which brings the effective target to 95%. The 2035 target for vans falls from 100% to 80%, and the same 7.5% cap on steel credits applies. For 2030, the committee proposed a 35% van target, compared with 40% in the Commission’s text and 50% under existing rules.
The package also introduces “super credits” for some EU-built electric vehicles. These count for more when manufacturers calculate their average emissions. In addition, committees voted to downgrade mandatory zero-emission targets for corporate fleets to “aspirational” goals. The steel industry body Eurofer welcomed the credit. Its director general, Axel Eggert, said European low-carbon steel should go into European-built cars.
Supporters and critics clash over the decision
Massimiliano Salini, the EPP’s lead negotiator, hailed the vote as a victory for his group’s campaign to relax restrictions on combustion engines. He said the EPP had united the political centre behind “backing our car industry, protecting European jobs” and giving manufacturers freedom to choose the best technologies.
Peter Liese, the EPP’s climate policy spokesperson, praised the political will shown by the different groups. He said the agreed rules deliver climate neutrality and technology neutrality together. Liese remains convinced that “the future belongs to electric cars”. However, he argued that range extenders and long-range plug-in hybrids will still have a role in 2035 and beyond.
Not everyone agrees. German Green MEP Michael Bloss called the outcome a “bad deal” for the European car industry. He told Euronews that political back-and-forth does more harm than high production costs. Bloss noted that electric car sales are surging, yet Parliament’s majority is sending a signal of uncertainty. He accused the Social Democrats and Conservatives of jeopardising investment security and industrial jobs. Europe, he said, has the factories and skilled workers to build top-class electric cars. It simply needs clear political support.
The industry itself is split. Renault chief executive Fabrice Cambolive told Autocar in November 2025 that the EU needs its own ZEV mandate to smooth the trajectory.
Why vans and fleets should take notice
Vans see some of the biggest changes. An 80% target in 2035 leaves room for combustion-engine vans, which matters to operators who cannot easily switch yet. Italian site Club Alfa described the van targets as a relief for Stellantis, whose van brands include Fiat Professional, Peugeot, Citroën and Opel.
Dropping mandatory corporate fleet targets also removes pressure from large buyers across the EU. None of this changes the rules that British fleets face. Operators here still answer to the UK timetable. However, many vans and cars on UK depots come from European factories, so EU rules can shape the models, prices and powertrain mix on offer. A larger share of plug-in hybrids and range extenders could widen choice. It could also complicate the whole-life cost picture for fleets that have already committed to full electrification.
Where the UK stands today
Britain regulates differently from the EU. Instead of a fleet-wide CO2 average, the ZEV Mandate sets annual sales shares. A third of every manufacturer’s UK sales must be electric in 2026, rising to 38% in 2027, 52% in 2028, 66% in 2029 and 80% in 2030. Manufacturers face fines of up to £12,000 per vehicle for missing targets. Sales of pure petrol and diesel cars end in 2030, while hybrids can stay on sale until 2035.
The market is catching up but still lags. The SMMT expects battery electric cars to reach around 27.5% of a market above two million this year, short of the 33% target. Demand is rising, though. July recorded the strongest new car market since 2019, with more than one in four new cars sold being electric.
The government is reviewing the mandate. The consultation launched on 14 August and ran until 23 October. The Autumn Budget confirmed the government will publish its response by the end of 2026. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said “the end goal hasn’t changed”. A government spokesperson has said it remains committed to phasing out all new non-zero emission car and van sales by 2035.
What is the likely effect on UK emissions targets?
The committee vote has no legal force in the UK. Britain sets its own rules, so the effect will be political and commercial. That does not make it small.
First, divergence strengthens the lobbying case. UK carmakers have criticised the government for diverging from EU policy and pushed green steel and e-fuels as alternatives to a ban. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes has called the review “a timely opportunity to adjust the transition”. A softer EU target gives that argument fresh weight.
Second, we expect a looser path rather than a scrapped goal. Ministers insist the 2030 and 2035 dates stand, so the likelier changes sit in the detail. These include annual trajectories, compliance flexibilities, hybrid eligibility and the van pathway. No decision has been announced, so this remains analysis rather than fact.
Third, strong counter-pressure exists. Thom Groot of The Electric Car Scheme warned that diluting the mandate would be a “catastrophic own goal”. Charging operator InstaVolt said softening the mandate risks spooking private investment. Even if the EU settles on its committee position, UK rules would still be stricter. Britain would then run a tougher regime than its biggest export market.
What happens next?
The committee text must still pass Parliament’s full plenary, which is due to vote on the auto package in December. It must then survive negotiations with member states, who are still deliberating. The final numbers could change.
In the UK, attention turns to the government’s response by the end of the year. Fleet operators should keep planning for 2030 and 2035. As Venson’s Simon Staton put it, “the 2035 destination hasn’t changed”. Logistics UK’s Ben Fletcher argues that policy must reflect operational reality, with grid access, affordable electricity and van grants. Those practical barriers matter more to fleets than any headline percentage.
