The European Commission is opening the door to the production of internal combustion engines beyond 2035, the year originally set as the endpoint for this technology in Europe. “We are open to all technologies,” Greek Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told Handelsblatt.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had asked the Commission in its review of fleet emission limits from 2035 onwards to take into account “highly efficient” internal combustion engines.

Asked if the EU would allow not only hybrid cars but also conventional combustion engines, Tzitzikostas told Handelsblatt: “We are open to all technologies. We want to stick to our goals, but we have to take into account all the latest geopolitical developments. We need to ensure that we do not jeopardise our competitiveness and that at the same time we help European industry to maintain its technological lead.”We need to make sure that we do not jeopardise our competitiveness and at the same time help European industry to maintain its technological lead. Therefore, he noted, “we are also looking at how we can better strengthen the value chain of the European automotive industry – for example through targeted EU preference criteria.”

The Greek commissioner also said that Chancellor Murch’s letter “was very positively received” and that the Commission would include “all technological developments” in the new regulation – “including the role of zero- and low-emission fuels and advanced biofuels.”

This is important in order to enable an “economically sustainable and socially just” transition to climate-neutral systems, he stressed, while, according to Handelsblatt, two more Commission officials confirmed that they intend to allow traditional combustion engines, as long as they are powered by biofuels or e-fuels.