Germany’s fractious coalition government said in a vote on Friday in Brussels that it would support pending European Union CO2 rules for trucks and other heavy vehicles.
This is according to government circles sources, as reported on Friday.
The agreement came after a last-minute debate within Germany’s coalition over the proposal.
A vote at the EU level was planned for midday.
Germany’s position had remained in doubt because of objections by the free-market liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in the three-party coalition.
But sources said Germany would press for additions to the rules, including a provision that trucks and buses could still be powered by future climate-friendly fuels and electricity.
German Transport Minister Volker Wissing, an FDP member, said this during an appearance on public broadcaster ZDF.
He continued to push for possible future synthetic fuels to be included in the regulations covering large road vehicles.
“We are still willing to talk, even today, and are looking for a solution,’’ Mr Wissing said.
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, a Green, voiced his support for the EU rules during a visit on Friday to Algeria, according to the newspaper Handelsblatt.
Mr Habeck said the German economy has invested extensively in more climate-friendly vehicles, especially electric-powered models.
A conference call on Thursday with politicians from several government ministries and business leaders failed to reach an agreement on the EU proposal.
Negotiators from EU member countries agreed in January that new and stricter CO2 requirements should be introduced, which would limit how much climate-damaging CO2 vehicles are allowed to emit in the future.
Climate goals call for reducing CO2 emissions from coaches and lorries by 90 per cent by 2040 compared to 2019 emission levels.
