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.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran will continue to defend itself unless Israeli strikes stop, following high-level talks in Geneva with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union’s top diplomat.
Several EU Member States have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to assist the departure of citizens due to the airspace closures in the Middle East. Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, Poland and Portugal have requested UCPM support to assist the departure of their nationals.
In 19 EU countries, the share of renewable energy sources in net electricity generation decreased in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024. The largest drops were recorded in Greece (-12.4%), Lithuania (-12.0%) and Slovakia (-10.6%).
European foreign ministers are set to meet Iran’s top diplomat in Geneva for urgent nuclear talks amid growing fears that the Israel-Iran conflict could spiral into a broader regional war.
European Union governments have agreed on a 1.5 billion-euro scheme to fund defence investments, though some countries said its "buy European" rules are too restrictive, diplomats said on Wednesday.
NATO needs to evolve to meet today’s changing world, Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Friday.
Pakistan has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his "diplomatic role and leadership" during the recent crisis with India.
The US will host the official signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the State Department announced Friday.
The EU Commission signed five major agreements with Africa, securing over €1.2 billion ($1.38 billion) in investments and guarantees, EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
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A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
A 32°C heatwave expected to grip England has been made a 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to a rapid scientific analysis released Thursday.
In 19 EU countries, the share of renewable energy sources in net electricity generation decreased in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024. The largest drops were recorded in Greece (-12.4%), Lithuania (-12.0%) and Slovakia (-10.6%).
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform, initiated by Azerbaijan, was held in Bonn, Germany this week.
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UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, has announced a record £2.5 billion in additional funding this week to advance the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.
NATO needs to evolve to meet today’s changing world, Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Friday.
Pakistan has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his "diplomatic role and leadership" during the recent crisis with India.
The US will host the official signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the State Department announced Friday.
The EU Commission signed five major agreements with Africa, securing over €1.2 billion ($1.38 billion) in investments and guarantees, EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday.
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