The European Parliament's environment committee voted Wednesday to soften the EU's 2035 car emissions target, backing an 87.5% cut in CO2 from new cars instead of the planned 100% reduction. The vote goes beyond the European Commission's own proposal for a 90% cut, and the deal must still be approved by the full Parliament and survive negotiations with EU member states.
Under the committee compromise, the target for vans would fall from 90% to 80%, and manufacturers using climate-friendly steel would receive an additional 7.5% credit. The deal was negotiated by the centre-right European People's Party, the centre-left Socialists and Democrats and the centrist Renew Europe group; a similar version was approved by Parliament's transport and industry committees on October 22.
The vote marks a departure from the EU's original plan to effectively end sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, a target adopted in 2023. The Commission rolled back its proposal in December 2025, offering a 90% target, with the remaining 10% potentially compensated through credits linked to EU-made low-carbon steel and sustainable fuels. This was a concession to the argument that the green transition must not come at the expense of industrial competitiveness.
EU car production remains roughly 19% to 20% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the think tank Bruegel. The EPP has long demanded greater flexibility for carmakers facing competition from China, sluggish electric vehicle sales and rising production costs.
Italian MEP Massimiliano Salini, the EPP's lead negotiator, hailed the vote as a victory for his group's campaign to relax restrictions on combustion engines. "The EPP Group managed to bring Europe's political centre together behind a clear objective: backing our car industry, protecting European jobs and giving manufacturers the freedom to develop the best technologies," he said.
Veteran German MEP Peter Liese, the EPP's climate policy spokesperson, said the rules were also ensuring technology neutrality. "We want climate neutrality, but with the rules we have now agreed on, we are also ensuring technology neutrality. I am personally convinced that the future belongs to electric cars. But electric vehicles with range extenders and plug-in hybrids with a long electric range will also have a role to play in 2035 and beyond," Liese said.
Green lawmakers criticised the proposed changes. German Green MEP Michael Bloss described the vote as a "bad deal" for the European car industry, saying the political back-and-forth was more harmful than high production costs in Europe. "While sales of electric cars are skyrocketing, the majority of the European Parliament is sending a signal of uncertainty," Bloss said, adding that Social Democrats and Conservatives were helping to jeopardise investment security and industrial jobs. "Europe has the factories and skilled workers to build top-of-the-line cars for the electric age, but it needs clear political support for this direction."
The Greens have warned the move threatens the cross-party consensus behind the Green Deal, which was a flagship achievement of the 2019 to 2024 Parliament, when the Greens held 18 more seats than they do today.
The deal still needs backing from Parliament's full plenary and must survive negotiations with EU member states before becoming law.
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Proposed 2035 car emissions reduction targets
% reduction
Source: Euronews
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Analysis
Why This Matters
The EU's 2035 zero-emission car target was a cornerstone of the bloc's climate policy; softening it affects the pace of Europe's shift to electric vehicles and sends a signal to global manufacturers making long-term investment decisions.
The compromise shows industrial competitiveness concerns are now cutting across the traditional parliamentary consensus behind the Green Deal, potentially reshaping the EU's broader climate agenda.
The decision is not final: the full Parliament and member state governments must still agree, meaning the exact level of ambition could change before the law is passed.
Background
The Green Deal was the flagship climate strategy of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's term. Its 2035 target, adopted in 2023, was designed to phase out new combustion-engine cars and give manufacturers a clear investment signal to move to electric vehicles.
Since then, pressure has built from carmakers and national governments, particularly Germany and Italy, over charging infrastructure, energy costs and competition from China. That pushed the Commission to offer flexibility in its December 2025 revision.
Key Perspectives
European People's Party: says the compromise backs the European car industry, protects European jobs and gives manufacturers freedom to develop the best technologies. Peter Liese argues the rules ensure technology neutrality alongside climate neutrality, with plug-in hybrids and range extenders still having a role beyond 2035.
Greens: says the vote is a "bad deal" for the European car industry, sending a signal of uncertainty that undermines investment security and industrial jobs. Michael Bloss argues Europe already has the factories and skilled workers to lead the electric age but needs clear political support.
What to Watch
The full plenary vote in Parliament, which will test whether the cross-party compromise holds together.
Negotiations with EU member states, where Germany and France have been pushing for greater flexibility.
Whether the final law keeps the additional credits for climate-friendly steel and the lower van target, or whether they are adjusted during talks.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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SupportedThe European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Wednesday to relax the 2035 car emissions target to an 87.5% reduction.Euronews: “European Parliament lawmakers on Wednesday backed a relaxation of the EU’s 2035 car emissions target from 100% to 87.5%”
SupportedThe committee’s 87.5% target is a bigger concession than the Commission’s proposed 90% reduction.Euronews: “The move goes further than the European Commission’s proposal , which would have lowered the 2035 target from a 100% reduction in emissions to a 90% cut.”
SupportedThe deal still needs full Parliament approval and negotiations with EU member states before becoming law.Euronews: “The deal must still secure the backing of Parliament's full plenary and survive negotiations with EU member states before becoming law.”
SupportedUnder the compromise, the target for vans would fall from 90% to 80%.Euronews: “while the target for vans would fall from 90% to 80%.”
SupportedManufacturers using climate-friendly steel would receive an additional 7.5% credit.Euronews: “manufacturers using climate-friendly steel would receive an additional 7.5% credit”
SupportedThe compromise was negotiated by the EPP, Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe.Euronews: “The compromise was negotiated by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the centrist Renew Europe group”
SupportedA similar version was approved by Parliament’s transport and industry committees on October 22.Euronews: “a similar version approved by Parliament's transport and industry committees on October 22.”
SupportedThe EU’s original plan was to effectively end sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, and the zero-emission target was adopted in 2023.Euronews: “The vote marks a shift away from the EU's original plan to effectively end sales of new combustion engine cars from 2035”
SupportedIn December 2025, the Commission proposed a 90% target, with the remaining 10% potentially compensated through credits linked to EU-made low-carbon steel and sustainable fuels.Euronews: “the Commission rolled back its original proposal in December 2025, proposing instead to weaken the 2035 target from a 100% to a 90% reduction in tailpipe emissions. The remaining 10% could be compensated through credits linked to EU-made low-carbon steel and sustainable fuels.”
SupportedBruegel says EU car production remains roughly 19% to 20% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.Euronews: “EU car production remains roughly 19% to 20% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the think tank Bruegel.”
SupportedMassimiliano Salini said: “The EPP Group managed to bring Europe’s political centre together behind a clear objective: backing our car industry, protecting European jobs and giving manufacturers the freedom to develop the best technologies.”Euronews: ““The EPP Group managed to bring Europe’s political centre together behind a clear objective: backing our car industry, protecting European jobs and giving manufacturers the freedom to develop the best technologies,” Salini said.”
SupportedPeter Liese said the rules ensure technology neutrality and that electric cars, range extenders and long-range plug-in hybrids would have a role in 2035 and beyond.Euronews: “"We want climate neutrality, but with the rules we have now agreed on, we are also ensuring technology neutrality. I am personally convinced that the future belongs to electric cars. But electric vehicles with range extenders and plug-in hybrids with a long electric range will also have a role to play in 2035 and beyond," Liese said.”