Clean and Competitive: EU Automotive Package Steers Sector Toward 2035

The European Commission has presented its Automotive Package, a set of measures designed to support the sector's efforts in the transition to clean mobility while keeping the automotive industry competitive. The package combines an action plan on the future of the automotive sector with legislative proposals amending key EU vehicle regulations, forming the Commission's response to the sector's twin challenges of decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness.

The backdrop is demanding. Road transport remains a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, accounting for about 30% of CO₂ output. Regulation (EU) 2019/631 set progressively stricter CO₂ standards for new cars and vans, with a 100% reduction target — the benchmark at the heart of the EU's post-2035 rules on the sale of new internal combustion engine cars. How manufacturers meet that deadline, and how much flexibility they receive along the way, is the central question the package addresses.

In concrete terms, the automotive package documents include proposal COM(2025)993 for a regulation amending existing regulations as regards the simplification of technical requirements and testing procedures for motor vehicles. A further proposal, put forward as a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, would amend Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 as regards the calculation of emission credits for heavy-duty vehicles. Together, the measures pair simpler technical requirements and testing procedures for motor vehicles with adjusted emission-credit rules for commercial vehicles.

The proposed changes to the post-2035 rules on the sale of new internal combustion engine cars have drawn the most attention. The EU's eased stance on the post-2035 car emissions rules was welcomed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and by European carmakers, who backed the proposed changes. In Germany, however, reactions were mixed — a sign of how politically charged the combustion-engine phase-out remains in the EU's largest member state.

For dealers and buyers across Eastern Europe and the wider region, the policy shift will be felt first in product planning and stock composition. As manufacturers align their new car and van line-ups with the CO₂ standards, dealers and fleet buyers looking for related vehicles — from low-emission passenger cars to the heavy-duty commercial vehicles affected by the emission-credit rules — can compare offers on WorldTrader24.de, a European marketplace listing more than 70,000 vehicles.

With the proposals now on the table, attention turns to the European Parliament and the Council, which must consider the draft regulations. The outcome will determine how much breathing room manufacturers, dealers and buyers get on the road to 2035 — and anyone aligning their vehicle strategy with the new rules can find suitable models and commercial stock among the 70,000+ listings on WorldTrader24.de.