Germany, Italy Signal They Could Block EU Combustion-Engine Ban
Opposition to a major plank of the bloc’s climate plans comes as the move to EVs threatens jobs in Europe
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A group of large European Union countries is threatening to block a plan by Brussels to effectively ban the internal combustion engine, endangering the bloc’s ambitious agenda to combat climate change.
Germany and Italy said this week they could block the plan’s formal approval at crucial meetings this week and next. Berlin said it would oppose the plan unless Brussels agrees to allow so-called synthetic fuels that can burn like gasoline and diesel but spew fewer climate-damaging emissions alongside fully electric vehicles.
Under the leadership of the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, Europe has adopted an ambitious plan to fight climate-change-causing greenhouse-gas emissions. The plan relies heavily on the mass adoption of electric vehicles and effectively bans new combustion-engine vehicles from 2035.
Parts of the auto industry, which employs 3.4 million people in the EU—nearly 12% of all manufacturing jobs—have pushed back, arguing that including so-called e-fuels into the plan would allow emission targets to be hit while stretching the costly move away from combustion engines over decades.
Some governments have expressed sympathy with the demand as the move to electric vehicles, which are less complex to produce than their combustion rivals, threatens large numbers of jobs in the region.
Under a compromise reached last October, lawmakers agreed that the European Commission could put forward additional rules allowing new vehicles with engines that use carbon-neutral fuels to continue to be sold, but it has yet to do so.
German Transport Minister Volker Wissing on Tuesday said Berlin now wanted Brussels to present this legislation ahead of the plan’s approval, saying that because it had yet to do so, “the German government cannot approve the compromise.”
Italy’s Environment Ministry said that environmental targets should be pursued in a way that avoids harming jobs and production and that electric vehicles shouldn’t be seen as the only route to zero emissions.
Two other countries have also pushed back on the legislation. Poland has informed other member states it plans to vote against the plan, and Bulgaria has indicated it plans to abstain, four EU diplomats said. Poland’s government has previously said that such a ban would restrict consumer choice and lead to higher costs. By acting together, those countries have enough votes to block the plan’s approval.
A spokesman for the commission said it is up to the commission’s political leadership to determine what legislation to propose and when to do so. “The transition to zero-emissions vehicles is absolutely necessary” to meet the bloc’s climate targets, he said.
The European car sector and countries that have begun investing heavily in e-fuel development have spearheaded the effort against the provision in the commission’s plan stating that vehicles should be emissions-free by 2035—a de facto combustion-engine ban.
Germany, home to the region’s largest car makers, said this week that it would soon approve the use of synthetic fuels in the country, a move that would force Brussels to either follow suit or challenge the German law.
German auto makers, including Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Porsche AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, have pushed for the use of synthetic fuels to be allowed.
“I’m in favor of intelligent solutions rather than blanket bans,” VW CEO Oliver Blume was quoted as saying in the weekly Welt am Sonntag newspaper in January, adding: “E-fuels are a sensible addition to electric mobility.”
The shift to electric cars is beginning to affect auto-industry employment, raising concerns among politicians that the transition could be moving too fast.
Stellantis NV, which includes Italian auto maker Fiat, this week announced it would cut 2,000 jobs in Italy. Ford Motor Co. recently said it would shed about 3,800 jobs in Germany and the U.K., or around 11% of its European workforce, because fewer employees were needed as the company shifted to electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis NV, whose brands include Fiat, Peugeot, Jeep and Chrysler, warned on an earnings call with reporters last month that the industry may be getting ahead of its customers.
“I don’t know if people will adapt to a new lifestyle as fast as the car companies have adapted to a new technology,” he said.
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From elevated skincare to handcrafted home pieces, this year’s most thoughtful gifts go beyond the expected.
A haven for hedge-fund titans and Hollywood grandees, Greenwich is one of the world’s most expensive residential enclaves, where eye-watering prices meet unapologetic grandeur.
From elevated skincare to handcrafted home pieces, this year’s most thoughtful gifts go beyond the expected.
3 min
Mother’s Day has quietly evolved. It’s no longer about last-minute flowers or safe department store buys. Instead, there’s a noticeable shift towards gifts that feel considered, personal and, increasingly, lasting.
This year’s edit leans into that idea, bringing together pieces that balance design, purpose and a sense of story.
At the more elevated end of beauty, Australian-founded skincare label Bon Elliot offers a future-facing approach grounded in dermatology.
Its Hydrating Performance Serum, priced at $220, is designed to support the skin’s natural balance, working across the microbiome, barrier and repair response for a more refined, luminous finish.
It’s the kind of gift that feels indulgent, but also quietly practical.
For something less expected, there’s a playful turn in the form of Tinned Candle’s handcrafted pieces.
Inspired by tinned fish, the Atlanta-based studio has created candles that are as much design objects as they are functional.
Importantly, they smell nothing like sardines, leaning instead into ocean breeze or champagne notes, depending on the piece . It’s a small, clever way to bring personality into a space.
There’s also a growing appetite for gifts that give something back.
Coral adoption programs offer a more meaningful alternative, allowing you to adopt a coral in your mother’s name while supporting fragile marine ecosystems under threat from climate change.
It’s less about the object and more about the gesture, which, in many ways, feels more aligned with the moment.
Homewares continue to hold their place, particularly when craftsmanship is at the centre.
Tanora’s collection, handcrafted in Madagascar, blends traditional techniques with a modern coastal aesthetic, spanning everything from woven totes to placemats and cushions.
These are pieces that don’t just decorate a home, they add texture and narrative to it.
For something more personal, Australian lingerie label Cloud Blvd offers soft, wearable luxury in the form of robes and camisoles.
With options designed for comfort as much as elegance, they strike that rare balance between everyday use and quiet indulgence.
And for the mother who loves to host, Mesa Collections delivers a playful yet polished take on the table.
Think colourful linens, sculptural silverware and small details that turn a simple meal into something more considered.
What ties all of this together is a shift in mindset.
The best gifts this Mother’s Day aren’t necessarily the most expensive or the most obvious. They’re the ones that show thought, whether that’s through design, craftsmanship or meaning.
Which, if you think about it, is exactly the point.
A long-standing cultural cruise and a new expedition-style offering will soon operate side by side in French Polynesia.
From warmer neutrals to tactile finishes, Australian homes are moving away from stark minimalism and towards spaces that feel more human.
