With the European Commission confirming Ursula von der Leyen for a second term, expectations for the next five years are running high, particularly around the Green Deal. Transport and Environment’s Senior Director, Julia Poliscanova, a seasoned voice in the European transport electrification landscape, expresses a clear vision of where Europe’s climate and industrial policy needs to head. The expert points out that the big challenge now isn’t about creating new targets but ensuring the existing ones are effectively implemented.

“A lot of these laws now do need to actually work,” she explains, “do need to show to people and companies that there is impact from them. I also expect a bigger focus on everything to do with industrial policy and competitiveness.”

Poliscanova believes that while the 2035 zero-emissions target for cars provides a crucial framework for investment in Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) and battery industry, distractions like e-fuel usage in cars could derail progress. The idea of reopening the debate to allow e-fuels, even in niche segments could be a dangerous distraction as they are not scalable for road transport, apart from being incredibly inefficient, with prohibitive costs for consumers. “Even if those synthetic fuels – like synthetic petrol or diesel – can play a very niche role for the sort of Porsche drivers, they’re not yet commercially available. And when they are, you will pay up to six euros for the litre of that Golden fuel. However, we do need those e-fuels in the sectors where batteries cannot do it, for aviation and shipping, for example. So we’re just wasting them on the road instead of actually using them the way they’re needed.”

More critically, she points out the risk the e-fuel debate poses to investments in EV infrastructure. “The 2035 decision sends a clear signal to investors—particularly in battery manufacturing. It gives them the confidence that the EU is committed to a long-term transition. By wavering, even slightly, we risk losing that momentum. Factories planned for Europe may not materialise if the market signals become uncertain.”