The UK is soon set to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will apply to visitors from destinations including Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.
14.10.2024 - 21:58 / euronews.com
Elected officials in Europe are raising the alarm over a slowdown in the production of cars and electric vehicles, blaming overburdening regulation and stiff competition from global rivals such as China.
The automotive sector is one of the staples of Europe’s industry, accounting for 7% of EU GDP.
But carmakers are struggling to adapt to the production of battery-electric vehicles, a transition Brussels is betting on as it prepares to phase out the production of combustion engine cars by 2035, part of its ambitious bid to become the first climate-neutral continent.
A recent report suggested the 27-country bloc would need a €800-billion boost to support its clean energy transition and compete with increasingly aggressive global trading rivals.
The Euroverify team takes a look at the data.
Car production in Europe slumped between 2019 and 2022 before it bounced back again marginally in 2023. But the number of newly registered EU cars is still lower than it was pre-pandemic in 2019.
Worryingly, the share of battery-electric and plug-in electric vehicles in European carmakers' output is very low and has declined in recent months.
In August, registrations of electric cars dropped by 43.9% compared to the same month in 2023, driven by an astonishing 68.8% decline in Germany, considered the bloc’s industrial powerhouse.
Tariffs on the import of cheap, China-made EVs — which have recently flooded the EU market and driven down prices — are due to enter into forceon 31 October and last for at least five years.
The bloc hopes it will restore fair competition between Europe's homegrown carmakers and its Chinese competitors.
Some believe that the EU's new carbon emission standards, due to kick in next year, will also help scale up European production of electric cars.
The legal limit for cars' CO2 emissions will fall by nearly a fifth to around 94 grams per kilometre from 2025. Manufacturers will also face new annual targets for the emissions their vehicles produce, a move Brussels hopes will incentivise the sale of zero- and low-emission vehicles.
"The car industry is not in crisis, actually, it's in a transition," Lucien Mathieu, cars director at Transport and Environment (T&E), told Euronews.
It's important to understand that the electric car market in Europe is intertwined with CO2 targets, and today the targets have been the same as in the previous years so there's no incentive for carmakers to sell more electric cars," he added, stating that this will change "radically" next year when the next targets kick in.
However, Europe's leading carmaker association, ACEA, is calling for an urgent review and two-year delay of the CO2 regulation, fearing it could further stifle the competitiveness of Europe's EV sector.
China's
The UK is soon set to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will apply to visitors from destinations including Europe, Australia, the US and Canada.
Only a third of Brits who set a travel budget stick to it, according to a new study.
The clocks have changed, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are turning gold.
From the latest on a long-awaited biometric border system to prohibitions on pub crawls and the announcements of restricted access to an iconic sight and a host of new flights and cruises, it was a busy month in European travel. If you missed any of the headlines this month, read on to get up to speed on the big stories of October, and be sure to register for the TravelPulse newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news in the travel industry.
European airlines have been cutting flights to China following the closure of Russian airspace.
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When I relocated from California to Germany four months pregnant with my second baby, I fantasized about the places my husband and I were going to take our children — swimming on the Greek islands, exploring Slovenia's rugged mountains, and taking in plays in London's West End.
A last-minute trip to Europe is as romantic as it sounds. Not only is the spontaneity thrilling, but European countries lend themselves very well to travelers who appreciate local customs and enjoy exploring new places without a rigid itinerary. Often, impulsively turning down a cobblestoned street will lead you to an exceptional hole-in-the-wall wine bar, a short-notice boutique hotel booking will be the best place you’ve ever stayed, or a chance encounter with a local will lead to a life-long friendship. But come 2025, you will need to do a little planning before you cross the pond. Next year, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will come into effect. This rule will require visitors from visa-exempt countries to obtain a travel authorization before entering 30 European countries and this includes US travelers.
Christmas is already around the corner. You may be in denial because snow has yet to arrive, but it’s high time to start planning your holiday travels. Between the mulled wine, carols, and delicious sweet treats, organizing a trip to a Christkindelsmärik in Europe is the most festive way to head straight into the holiday season. Christmas in Europe must be celebrated with a cinnamon coated chimny cakle in one hand and cheese-filled bratwurst in the other. So, this year, plan for a perfectly wintry holiday experience at one of the 15 best Christmas markets in Europe.
My dad is from a small town in Massachusetts and has never been much for travel, but his eyes lit up like a child’s when I told him I was headed to Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg in the Swabian region of southwestern Germany. A lifelong car buff, pop knew Stuttgart as the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Driving me to the airport, he gushed about the legendary car museums in his coarse Boston accent: “Christalmighty, Johnny Boy, you’ll see the most gawgeous Muhcedes and Pawsches evah made!” I could only imagine otherwise-polite Germans shuddering at his pronunciation of their cherished automobile brands (but I kept that to myself).
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