Sánchez calls Brussels' relaxation of regulations on combustion engine cars a "historic mistake"

Madrid / Barcelona"It's a historic mistake." With these words, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the European Commission's proposal to lift the total ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles starting in 2035, thus weakening one of the key principles of the European Green Deal. "It's a historic mistake for Europe because competitiveness is guaranteed through sustainability, not by weakening our climate commitments," Sánchez stated this Wednesday during his speech at the presentation of the State Pact for the Climate Emergency in Madrid. Now, the proposal must be negotiated between the Council and the European Parliament for final adoption. In the Spanish government's opinion, the argument of the automotive industry's competitiveness, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used this Tuesday to defend the proposal, is not robust enough to justify reversing the progress toward the energy transition and the fight against climate change.

However, it's worth remembering that Pedro Sánchez's government has always maintained its position of not backing down on the elimination of combustion engine cars by 2035. In fact, the Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, defended this position just hours before it was made public," she stated. In any case, Brussels' proposal is a first step. The Sánchez administration has long prioritized promoting electric vehicles, both through subsidies for their purchase—for example, through the MOVES Plan—and by attracting automotive companies to Spain to produce their cars, or parts of them, such as batteries. Spain, in fact, aspires to become the hub European electromobility.

Unlike Sánchez, the Spanish association of car manufacturers, Anfac, has welcomed Brussels' decision. Anfac sees the European Commission's new proposal as "a necessary first step." The car manufacturers assert that the new approach will allow them to "achieve climate goals and guarantee the sector's industrial viability." According to the association, the European Union had not equipped itself with the necessary tools or policies to enable the targets set for 2021, and the proposed changes will allow for "a more effective reconciliation of the need to reduce CO₂ emissions with maintaining competitiveness and employment in Europe."

Climate Emergency

Sánchez's barb aimed at the European Commission was delivered during the official presentation of the state pact for the climate emergency, which the Spanish Prime Minister announced in the summer following the major fires that ravaged the stateThe plan is structured around four basic pillars: the protection of life from climate emergencies—in this regard, the Spanish government has committed to establishing a State Network of Climate Shelters before summer. A second pillar addresses the devastating effects of drought and ensures water security. This involves promoting improvements in water reuse, desalination, and land-use planning to avoid the development of flood-prone areas. The third pillar focuses on agriculture and the primary sector, and in this context, Sánchez announced that the Spanish government will fund municipal flood prevention plans for towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. Sánchez also stated that 20 million euros will be allocated for fire prevention plans in these municipalities. In Catalonia, for example, of the 521 municipalities required to have a flood prevention plan, only half (50.5%) actually have one. Finally, the Spanish government aims to give more weight to research by creating a national panel of climate change scientists.

The document will now have to go to Congress, although the Spanish executive intends to implement some measures now, such as funding for the plans. This Wednesday, Sánchez appealed to all political groups, although the PP has already rejected him. In any case, the Spanish government believes that the Popular Party's position regarding the plan and the climate agenda in general reflects poorly on them, especially due to the concessions made to Vox, which were recently seen again in the context of the change of president in the Valencian Generalitat. Sánchez himself spoke of "denier majority", referring to the right and far right in the Valencian Community, and has denounced the "dismantling of the climate agenda in an area, the Mediterranean, which has clearly been affected by the consequences of the climate emergency."