German minister rejects EU plan to ban new fossil-fuel cars from 2035

BERLIN -- Germany's government will not agree to European Union plans to effectively ban the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said.

In its bid to cut planet-warming emissions by 55 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels, the European Commission has proposed a 100 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from new cars by 2035. That means it would be impossible to sell combustion engine cars starting then.

European Parliament lawmakers backed the proposals this month before negotiations with EU countries on the final law take place.

Speaking at an event hosted by Germany's BDI industry association on Tuesday, Lindner said there would continue to be niches for combustion engines so a ban was wrong and said the government would not agree to this European legislation.

Lindner, a member of the pro-business Free Democrats, which shares power with the Social Democrats and Greens, said Germany would still be a leading market for electric vehicles.