EU countries postpone vote on combustion engine ban

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Swedish presidency of the European Union’s ministers’ council says the adoption by EU member countries of new carbon dioxide emission standards for cars and vans has been postponed amid opposition from Germany. The vote initially scheduled for next week will take place at a “later council meeting” on a date yet to be announced, the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union said Friday. Germany’s transportation minister said last week that his country wouldn’t back a proposed EU ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035 because the bloc’s executive arm hadn’t provided an exemption for synthetic fuels. Conservative lawmakers in the European Parliament also oppose the ban.