Nine European capital cities have joined forces to oppose a European Commission proposal that would require large corporate vehicle fleets to switch to electric vehicles, according to a document seen by Euronews.
A coalition led by Poland and including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia and Romania has launched a coordinated challenge to the Commission's proposed law, which would compel companies with more than 250 employees or more than €50 million turnover to decarbonise their fleets of cars and vans.
The topic is set to be discussed at a gathering of EU transport ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
The Commission is proposing that by 2030, large companies' fleets will be subject to two separate mandatory quotas: that roughly 69 percent of all new purchased vehicles be plug-in hybrids and that around 45 percent battery-electric or hydrogen-powered cars. The precise targets would vary by member state.
The nine EU governments acknowledge that corporate fleets can play a major role in accelerating the shift to cleaner vehicles and reducing Europe's dependence on imported oil, which accounts for almost 60 percent of the bloc's imports, but they also argue that mandatory quotas risk undermining competitiveness and placing additional burdens on businesses.
