Slovakia seeks revision of EU 2035 combustion-engine ban

The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, announced the government will seek a political revision of the EU target to ban sales of new combustion-engine vehicles from 2035.

• Main announcement: The government will propose a revision of the 2035 ban (political initiative) with possible options including postponing the deadline to 2040 or 2045, or keeping 2035 but adding new substantive conditions such as flexibility and allowances for hybrid programmes; the Prime Minister will raise the issue with V4 partners (asking Viktor Orbán) and subsequently with the President of the European Council. The government frames the approach as a set of possible variants rather than a final decision.
• Background and meeting details: The announcement followed a meeting at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava on 09.10.2025 with automakers, the Automotive Industry Association (Slovakia), and automotive suppliers. Key facts presented: automotive sector = 10% of GDP, 44% of exports, 125,000 direct employees, ~220,000 indirect employees. A similar national-level meeting is taking place in Germany, and the Prime Minister expects outcomes from Berlin to influence European Commission / EU decisions.
  • Date: 09.10.2025
  • Location: Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava
  • Agenda/subject: Feasibility and revision options for the EU 2035 combustion-engine sales ban; discussion of flexibility measures (e.g., hybrid programmes) and other automotive-related EU decisions
  • Participants: Prime Minister Robert Fico, Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Economy Denisa Sakova, automakers operating in Slovakia, Automotive Industry Association representatives, automotive suppliers