When France and Germany actually agree on something in the halls of European politics, corporate executives usually break out the vintage champagne. Stellantis, led by Antonio Filosa, is doing just that, warmly applauding a landmark joint proposal from Paris and Berlin aimed at injecting some desperately needed sanity, and strategic flexibility, into the European Union’s aggressive automotive emission deadlines.
A Stellantis spokesperson officially welcomed the bilateral agreement as a critical milestone toward finalizing Europe’s comprehensive automotive package. The cross-border alliance advocates for a pragmatic recalibration: rather than enforcing an absolute zero-emission dictate for 2035, the proposed framework targets a 90% reduction in new car CO2 emissions, mercifully sparing automakers from having to offset that final, painfully expensive 10%.
Furthermore, the plan demands increased operational flexibility regarding intermediate milestones along the way, giving legacy carmakers room to breathe, and build, without facing catastrophic compliance penalties every time market realities crash into bureaucratic spreadsheets.
Beyond easing performance metrics, the French-German pact introduces an unabashedly protectionist twist: direct financial incentives restricted strictly to electric vehicles produced on European soil.
Stellantis views this dual-pronged approach, combining manageable CO2 targets with regional manufacturing subsidies, as the golden key to long-term planning. Industry leaders argue that clear, stable rules will allow manufacturers to finally stop playing regulatory dodgeball and shift focus back to actual product innovation that buyers might want to purchase.
Of course, a Franco-German handshake is not yet EU law. The draft proposal now heads into the chaotic arena of European Parliament negotiations, where member states will debate exact flexibility margins and subsidy mechanisms. Yet with Stellantis openly cheering from the sidelines, the momentum behind a pragmatic, European-first EV transition has never been stronger.