Keep climate targets but ditch red tape, says EPP’s green leader

From reversing a ban on petrol and diesel cars to lifting protection for wolves, the EPP’s environment spokesperson Peter Liese has outlined what the centre-right party hopes to achieve in the next five years.

The German Christian Democrat, a former medical doctor and an MEP since 1994, said he is confident of being re-appointed as the group’s environment spokesperson tomorrow (4 july), when the EPP plans to adopt its policy agenda for the coming parliament term.

Leaks earlier this week suggest the group wants to pause or even reverse aspects of the EU Green Deal, the flagship policy agenda of the von der Leyen commission. Liese has already moved, with a call last week to postpone implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

In an interview with Euronews, Liese suggested the move was indicative of the direction of travel since the group, already the largest in the European Parliament, expanded its ranks to 188 seats in last month’s election, but not a reversal on environment policy.

“We want to keep the essence of the Green Deal, but we want to improve the legislation where it is too bureaucratic,” Liese says. And the EUDR is not the only file in the group’s sights. The veteran lawmaker also points to car CO2 emissions limits, which will reach zero in 2035, a de facto ban on petrol and diesel models.

There should be a place for conventional cars running on synthetic e-fuels, he says. Backers say the climate impact of octane or other hydrocarbons made using green electricity is minimal as CO2 is captured and used in their manufacture. Critics argue it is a highly inefficient use of energy when road transport can be electrified directly.

For Liese, the law must be “technology neutral”, and the transition must be