EU countries approve climate measures after long talks

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries have reached a deal to eliminate carbon emissions from new cars by 2035 following hard-fought talks that dragged into the early hours of Wednesday. The 27 EU members found a common agreement on draft legislation aimed at slashing EU greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 rather than by a previously agreed 40%. The package also features a reform of the EU’s carbon market and the creation of a social climate fund to help vulnerable households cope with the planned clean-energy revamp. The deal paves the way for negotiations with the European Parliament to start before the agreement can become a law.