Orban says 2026 election to decide Hungary’s EU direction
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Sunday that the 2026 election would determine whether Hungary pursues greater alignment with the Europea...
The EU rejects calls to weaken car CO2 rules, emphasizing climate goals despite automaker pressures and EPP's push for relief on 2025 emission limits.
The European Commission is not considering changing Europe's policies to cut CO2 emissions from cars, despite a push from the EU's biggest political group to weaken the laws, the bloc's climate policy chief told Reuters on Thursday.
The centre-right European People's Party - the European Parliament's biggest lawmaker group - launched a campaign this week to weaken the climate rules, adding to pressure on Brussels from automakers and national governments to urgently help Europe's ailing autos sector.
Asked whether he was now considering changing the car CO2 rules, European Union climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said he was not.
"No. The answer is no," he told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry event in Brussels.
Hoekstra, like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is part of the EPP political group.
Europe's car sector is in turmoil, with thousands of jobs on the line as it struggles with weak demand, Chinese competition and lower than expected electric vehicle sales.
Brussels has said the climate rules are needed to meet Europe's legally-binding emissions goals, and they provide a predictable investment environment for European companies.
The main demand of the EPP is that automakers are given relief from 2025 CO2 limits, which many are expected to miss.
European automaker association ACEA has said the industry potentially faces 15 billion euros ($15.8 billion) of fines for failing to meet the 2025 targets, which it says would divert money from investments.
Hoekstra has previously played down such concerns, noting carmakers' far lower fines for missing 2020 EU emissions targets. Volkswagen then faced penalties exceeding 100 million euros.
The EPP suggests using a three-year average to count automakers' compliance with next year's CO2 limits - allowing them to miss next year's targets and dodge fines if they catch up in 2026 and 2027.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Pakistan’s eastern towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad are at risk of devastating floods if an irrigation barrage on a major upstream river collapses after torrential rains pushed it beyond capacity, officials warned on Thursday.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain have signed an agreement with China to jointly develop a $220 million solar energy project.
A deadly landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a major Hindu pilgrimage route in Jammu, killing at least 30 people and disrupting communication across the region.
Wind farm developer Orsted's plan to raise much-needed capital is at risk following a U.S. order to halt construction of a near-complete project, and the Danish group's share price could come under pressure on Monday, analysts said.
Brazil’s government has ruled out subsidising hotel costs for delegates attending the COP30 climate summit in Belém this November, despite growing concerns over soaring accommodation prices.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment