The EU Commission is tackling European climate protection

The EU Commission is tackling European climate protection and making concrete proposals on how this should succeed. The legislative package, entitled "Fit for 55" by the EU, concerns three major issues: the approval of emission-free vehicles, the taxation of kerosene on flights within Europe and the introduction of a CO2 tax on climate-damaging imports. Brussels wants to prepare the European economy to emit at least 55 percent less greenhouse gas by 2030 compared to 1990. The EU Commission wants no more conventional gasoline and diesel cars to be registered in Europe by the middle of the next decade at the latest. A currently presented proposal stipulates that from 2035 only emission-free new vehicles should be registered in the EU. However, there should be a review clause. Accordingly, every two years it should be analyzed how far the manufacturers are; A major test report is to follow in 2028. In theory, the date 2035 could still be postponed. The EU countries and the EU Parliament still have to approve the proposal. For the transformation in the transport sector, charging points for electric cars are to be set up every 60 kilometers on major highways in the EU. The Commission estimates the investment costs for the charging infrastructure at a total of 15 billion euros. Hydrogen filling stations are to be built every 150 kilometers. The EU Commission also said that even if you are currently assuming a poor energy mix, an electric car has lower emissions than a classic combustion engine. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" that a time frame was important in order to ensure planning security for the manufacturers. "How they change their production is up to the manufacturers," stressed the politician. "They know best how to develop new cars or new fuels." In addition to electric cars, combustion engines can also be climate-neutral if they run on hydrogen or synthetic fuels. If produced correctly, these energy sources do not ultimately emit any additional greenhouse gases. Currently, however, the alternatives are relatively expensive. At the end of 2020, the ADAC assumed that a liter of synthetic fuel would cost around 4.50 euros to produce. Optimistic forecasts considered a price of 2.29 euros including taxes in 2030 to be possible. As a second major aspect, the EU Commission proposes the introduction of a kerosene tax on flights within Europe. Air traffic within Europe therefore contributes 3.8 percent to the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions. The current tax exemption dates back to the 1944 Chicago Convention. At that time, the young means of transport aircraft should be promoted. In the aviation industry, a kerosene tax has met with criticism - international competitive disadvantages in particular are feared, as the Airport Association (ADV) in Berlin said. Increasing increases in climate targets should not be a one-way street from constant burdens - the Commission must also "promote and support" financially. For example, an e-bus costs three times as much as a diesel bus for journeys on the tarmac; only three airports in Germany are currently connected to the ICE network and five to the long-distance network. The quotas required by the EU for the admixture of sustainable fuels should not only apply to European, but also to international airlines.