Germany Chancellor Merz rejects strict EU emissions rules for company cars
Berlin (dpa) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned against strict EU emissions rules for company cars.
After a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Berlin on Monday, Merz said that the automotive industry is one of the core industries in Europe.
“We must not allow it to be destroyed by a narrow focus on technologies,” Merz asserted.
The conservative German leader spoke of what he called “unnecessary proposals,” noting that consumers should make the decision, not the state and not the European Union.
The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag had previously reported that the European Commission was preparing to allow car hire providers and large companies to only buy electric cars from 2030.
However, a spokesman for the European Commission said that no decision had yet been made on possible climate proposals for company cars.
In a paper published in March, the Commission said that it would present a legislative proposal to reduce emissions from company cars by the end of the year, taking various technologies into account.
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the Ministry of Transport have criticised the possibility of mandatory electric cars for company fleets. (21 July)
