Deal on classic cars in the EU – ‘Don’t mess with the cruisers’

Strasbourg – EU countries’ environment ministers have agreed on their view of how the recycling and scrapping of old cars should be carried out at a meeting in Luxembourg.

Classic cars should still be able to exist as part of “the moving cultural heritage.”

“The legislation will not only increase the competitiveness of our car and recycling industries but also reduce bureaucracy to a minimum,” promises Poland’s climate and environment minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska in a press release.

When the EU Commission presented its original proposal in 2023, there were concerns about the forced scrapping of old cars. However, this has been alleviated, among other things, by allowing countries to make exceptions for “vehicles of particular cultural interest,” as they are now referred to in the proposal.

The EU Parliament is also on its way to reaching a consensus on the matter and is expected to vote on it this fall, before final negotiations can begin. Swedish member Jonas Sjöstedt sees the issue as one that gathers broad Swedish support across party lines.

“I believe that no Swedish party is messing with the car enthusiasts,” he noted at a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday, referring to a subculture known for its interest in American classic cars.

(June 17)