Although, at one point, it seemed that the ban on the production and use of cars powered by internal combustion engines would be postponed again, this did not happen.
Namely, the Council of the EU made the final decision on Tuesday, according to which, as of 2035, there will be no more petrol or diesel-powered vehicles on the roads. The rules on the ban of their sale will enter into force on the tenth day after the publication of the regulation in the Official Journal of the EU.
The ban on the sale of classic four-wheelers is a key part of the Fit for 55 European climate package, with most member states agreeing with this decision, with the exception of Italy, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
In practice, this means that, in 12 years’ time, there will be only electric vehicles on the EU roads, as well as in the countries that aspire to be EU members, such as Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ban’s aim is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, promote the green economy and complete the elimination of fossil fuels.
“Manufacturers fear that customers will not fully accept this change, as the situation is not the same in Germany, Italy, Spain or Greece. Clients behave differently in different countries and not all interests coincide. Germany is the largest car manufacturer, where every seventh employee works in the automotive industry. Its voice, as the strongest economy, is extremely important and it is also important that this decision is good for everyone,” says Slobodan Pešić, director of Volkswagen Serbia.
Serbia will definitely have to speed up the work on the infrastructure needed for e-vehicles because it currently has a very disadvantaged position in the region. Croatia is far ahead in this regard, and we should follow its example in this segment.
In the case of countries like Serbia, where the purchasing power of citizens is quite low, especially when it comes to purchasing cars that cost more than 20,000 euros, the state is expected to react and help all those drivers who want to replace their old vehicle with one of EV cars. 5,000-euro-subsides for a car have been planned this year and 294 million dinars have been earmarked for that purpose in the state budget, twice as much as last year.
Source : Serbian Monitor
