After over 16 hours of tense negotiations, the 27 EU member states have agreed to a handful of draft policies aimed at significantly reducing emissions across the continent. One key aspect of the deal is the decision to introduce a ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2035.

Bloc backs European Commission's climate policies

The European climate package includes five draft policies, all of which were proposed by the European Commission last summer. Now that the 27 EU member states have reached an agreement regarding the five proposed laws, the negotiations regarding the final laws can begin in the European Parliament.

Many aspects of the EU’s new policies are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the continent by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, up from the previous target of 40 percent. The EU’s long-term goal is to be climate neutral by 2050, allowing the bloc to encourage other major polluters, such as the United States and China, to follow its lead.

The policies approved by the member states include the decision to reduce the availability of CO2 permits for factories and power plants and form a 59 billion-euro fund to protect citizens from rising costs as a result of new environmental legislation.

EU to ban sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2035

One key aspect of the new European climate package is the agreement to introduce a 100 percent CO2 reduction target for new vehicles by 2035. Effectively, this means that, from 2035, a ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars will be in effect in the EU. European lawmakers hope this will play a significant role in reducing emissions, as transport currently accounts for around 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

The Dutch government has reacted positively to news of the EU’s historic agreement, with Climate Minister Rob Jetten calling it “a very important green step." “Europe is showing that it is the global leader in the field of climate,” he told the NOS Radio 1 Journaal. “By taking this step in Europe, the pressure on other parts of the world will also increase."

In response to the new legislation, the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, has announced she is looking into options for banning combustion engines in lease cars in the Netherlands from as early as 2025.