The incoming Greek commissioner wins over MEPs with a assured efficiency throughout a grueling listening to that noticed him reject calls to gradual the transfer to electrical autos.
Greek centre-right politician Apostolos Tzitzikostas handed a affirmation listening to within the European Parliament on Monday night as he staunchly defended an EU regulation to cut back highway transport emissions that has been questioned by the European People’s Party (EPP), his identical political household.
“Let’s be clear,” Tzitzikostas instructed EPP Group MP Jens Gieseke firstly of a listening to that was anticipated to final greater than three hours on Monday night (4 November).
“We have two CO2 requirements. We have particular targets and should follow the plan: 2025, 25% discount; 2035, 100% discount.”
European carmakers have mentioned they aren’t prepared to fulfill more durable limits on carbon emissions from tailpipes subsequent yr, warning that the trade faces billions of euros in fines and inevitable mass layoffs of employees, and known as a direct revision of the regulation.
The Greek MEP mentioned he would comply with to the letter a overview clause authorizing the Commission to discover the potential for permitting the sale of vehicles with inside combustion engines after 2035 supposed to run solely on natural or artificial fuels “low in carbon”.
Because the emissions restrict is predicated on common annual manufacturing, producers hoped to stability gross sales of worthwhile SUV-type gasoline vehicles with elevated gross sales of zero-emission battery-powered fashions, however a current decline in gross sales of electrical autos despatched them right into a panic.
But regardless of repeated stress from the EPP and nationalist MEPs, Tzitzikostas remained adamant that the EU should stand its floor, implying that the automobile trade had taken cost of the scenario however that the EU govt The EU was prepared to assist change this earlier than the 2025 deadline and successfully ban gross sales of fossil gasoline vehicles from 2035.
The guidelines have been set years in the past, so there may be “certainty and stability” out there, he instructed Roman Haider of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party. “Companies nonetheless have 11 years to… get there progressively,” he mentioned. Abandoning the targets at this late stage would sign a “lack of stability and belief” in EU market guidelines.
The EU govt intends to deal with the problem with particular motion for the automotive trade as a part of the Clean Industrial Deal that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised inside 100 days of taking workplace of her second administration within the subsequent weeks.
At the middle shall be measures to advertise a marketplace for electrical autos, Tzitzikostas mentioned, promising motion to affect gross sales of company fleets which make up round 60% of the European market. However, he didn’t suggest setting legally binding targets by regulation, however urged an incentive-based initiative as a chance following discussions with different commissioners.
In any case, the aim could be to assist create a second-hand market which, mixed with the promotion of smaller, cheaper electrical vehicles that producers have thus far uncared for, would enhance demand and assist them meet their looming targets. of CO2.
An in a single day assembly of political group coordinators noticed Tzitzikostas’s candidacy authorised by a big majority, with the small left-wing caucus and the ultranationalist opposition Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) abstaining.
Railway tickets, navy transport and tourism
Besides evidently profitable over the EPP with a assured and easy efficiency, the longtime governor of the Central Macedonia area happy the Greens with a promise to advertise rail journey, with a proposal to make it simpler to e book journey between nations of the EU and promote the event of night time trains and the high-speed rail community.
“My intention is to introduce the one ticket as quickly as potential,” he mentioned, pledging to current a legislative proposal subsequent yr that may permit journey to be booked from anyplace to anyplace in Europe with the press of a smartphone .
Tzitzikostas additionally underlined geopolitical points, referring to Ukraine as a future member of the EU and underlining the necessity to construct new transport infrastructure able to “twin use”, with railways and roads able to carrying heavy navy gear, and to deal with the transportation of sanctioned Russian oil through a “shadow” fleet of poorly regulated or insured vessels.
ANNOUNCEMENTAlthough he’s the primary commissioner-designate to even have tourism as a selected portfolio, the listening to solely briefly touched on the subject.
Tzitzikostas promised to help Europe’s place because the “world’s primary vacationer vacation spot” and current a technique for sustainable tourism firstly of his five-year mandate. When requested about unsustainable customer numbers which can be inflicting a backlash in some places, he spoke of the necessity to “discover and showcase various locations” and promote ecotourism.
Pressed by the 2023 Times prepare catastrophe that noticed the deaths of 57 individuals beneath his command in Greece final yr, Tzitzikostas mentioned security was his most important concern and that EU guidelines could be utilized with out worry or favor throughout the block.
The Transport Committee will now suggest that the group’s leaders help the Greek Commissioner-designate. Once all hearings are concluded, the European Parliament will vote on all the EU govt earlier than the second von der Leyen Commission takes workplace.
ANNOUNCEMENT
