Czech Republic calls meeting to challenge car emissions laws

By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The Czech Republic has convened a meeting of transport ministers from 12 European Union countries, seeking to challenge a proposed law to cut vehicle emissions and discuss a separate row over the bloc’s 2035 deadine to phase out CO2-emitting cars.

Apart from the Czech Republic, those invited to attend the meeting are Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain, an EU official told Reuters. The countries have not yet said whether their ministers will attend.

The meeting was initially planned to discuss a proposed EU law to tighten limits for vehicle emissions of health-harming pollutants including nitrogen oxides – a policy known as Euro 7.

The Czech Republic, some other countries and industry groups have said it is unrealistic and question its environmental benefits.

“On Monday, March 13, I will meet in Strasbourg with the ministers of transport of the countries that also have reservations about the proposed EURO 7 emission standard,” Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka said on Twitter.

“We will discuss the basic points of the joint position for negotiations on changing the standard.”

The meeting will also tackle the EU’s law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, Kupka said.

The bloc’s main policy to speed up Europe’s shift to electric vehicles was put on hold earlier this week after last-minute opposition from Germany delayed a final vote, which has yet to be rescheduled.

Germany has sought assurances that sales will be allowed of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035, if they run on CO2-neutral fuels.

The intervention surprised policymakers, since the European Parliament, the executive Commission and EU member states agreed the car CO2 law last year after months of negotiations.

The Czech Republic, which also has a significant auto industry, has also sought exemptions for synthetic fuels in return for its support in limiting combustion engines.

Other established opponents of the car CO2 law include Italy and Poland. Since Europe’s biggest economy signalled its opposition, an increasing number of other countries in the 27-member bloc have sided with them EU officials said.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Barbara Lewis)