Nine European Union governments have joined forces to oppose a European Commission plan that would oblige large firms to switch their car and van fleets to electric power, according to a document seen by Euronews.
The coalition, led by Poland and backed by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia and Romania, has mounted a coordinated challenge to the proposed regulation. The measure would require companies with more than 250 employees or turnover above €50 million to decarbonise their fleets.
The issue is due to be discussed at a meeting of EU transport ministers in Luxembourg on June 8.
Under the proposal, large corporate fleets would face two mandatory quotas by 2030. Roughly 69 per cent of newly purchased vehicles would have to be plug-in hybrids and around 45 per cent battery-electric or hydrogen-powered, with targets varying between member states.
The dissenting capitals accept that corporate fleets can speed up the shift to cleaner vehicles and cut Europe’s reliance on imported oil. They argue, though, that binding quotas would weaken competitiveness and add to the burden on business, and want Brussels to rely on incentives instead of regulation.
A central concern is the uneven readiness across the bloc. The signatories point to gaps in charging infrastructure, leasing markets, taxation and grid capacity, warning that a single target risks penalising countries where the supporting ecosystem remains underdeveloped.
They also fear knock-on effects for smaller firms. Although the proposal formally targets large companies, the governments argue that obligations on leasing firms would cascade down to small and medium-sized enterprises, around 80 per cent of whose cars are leased rather than bought.
The campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) takes the opposite view. It says the tax gap between electric and fossil-fuel cars is too narrow in 18 of the 27 member states to offset higher prices, leaving companies little reason to switch.
Stef Cornelis, the group’s fleets and freight director, said the largest markets were failing to push firms towards electric cars and urged the European Council and European Parliament to strengthen the law.
