{"id":273,"date":"2026-03-18T13:07:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.sim-ex.eu\/financialtimes\/?page_id=273"},"modified":"2026-05-18T22:28:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:28:26","slug":"alice-berzolla-interview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.sim-ex.eu\/financialtimes\/alice-berzolla-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive Interview with Alice Berzolla, the German S&D Rapporteur on the Clean Corporate Vehicles to the TRAN Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Exclusive Interview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clean Corporate Vehicles regulation has to become more social, says S&D rapporteur Alice Berzolla<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alice Berzolla is a German MEP for the S&D group and serves as rapporteur on the Clean Corporate Vehicles (CCV) regulation, which is currently negotiated in the European Parliament\u2019s Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee. She agreed to an exclusive interview with the FT on the Committee\u2019s upcoming draft report on the CCV proposal and her work as rapporteur. The exchange took place on the 20th of March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In her role as rapporteur, Berzolla leads the TRAN Committee’s work on the CCV file, which includes the drafting of the EP\u2019s initial formal position (the draft report), building the internal majority needed to pass it, and ultimately negotiating the EP\u2019s position against the Council.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joshua Starbatty<\/strong> in Paris | Published MAR 23 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FT:<\/strong> Hello Ms Berzolla, thank you for agreeing to speak with the Financial Times. You are the rapporteur on the Clean Corporate Vehicles (CCV) regulation in the European Parliament. Can you give us an overview of your role in the negotiations on the file?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> Thank you for having me for this interview just ahead of the publication of our draft report. As for my role, I have two positions to hold: one as rapporteur, where I have to be compromising, and one as a representative of the S&D. My goal for now is to create a broad coalition, if possible, from the Left to the EPP. We are very strong about not including the far right, because we believe we owe it to our electorate to refuse a dialogue with Eurosceptic and xenophobic parties. I think this sends a clear signal about what we stand for. But we also need a compromise, so we need to be realistic. To think that an alliance from the Left to the EPP could vote together is highly ambitious. So overall, we seek to stay true to our values, realistic enough to keep EPP from walking towards the far right, while upholding sustainability and social protection in the regulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT: <\/strong>The files have been presented by the Commission as two sides of the same medal, as emphasized again last week by Commissioners Pomili Pomili and Pauro. How do you evaluate the intersection between the CO2<\/sub> standards and the CCV? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> They go hand in hand. Both files are part of the same industrial and climate logic. You cannot have supply side measures without demand that follows. Of course, it is very sad to see that we are backpedalling on the CO2<\/sub> standards. My hope is that with the CCV in the end we will have a regulation that is ambitious enough to help offset the climate mitigation losses from the supply side. Generally, I believe the MEPs need to be very careful not to give in to lobbies and far right parties that strongly push for backpedalling on green ambitions in all sorts of regulation and try to undermine the progress we made so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Of course, it is very sad to see that we are backpedalling on the CO2<\/sub> standards. My hope is that with the CCV in the end we will have a regulation that is ambitious enough to help offset the climate mitigation losses from the supply side.<\/em>‘<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> Looking at the Commission\u2019s proposal more closely, what do you think has to be changed about the file you are working on in TRAN \u2014 the CCV?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> We have been talking to a broad array of parties and Article 4, especially the \u201cmade in the EU\u201d criteria, are the central red line for everyone. The proposal delegates the power to define what counts as EU-made to the Commission, while the parliament’s role here is almost invisible. That is something we aim to correct. Another priority is accountability. There is no mechanism in the original text that says what happens when large undertakings fail to contribute to the transition. Everyone must abide by the law, so corporations should be punished if they do not achieve the targets the EU set. Lastly, we need to think about fairness between member states. We believe you cannot impose ambitious fleet targets on states if they don\u2019t have the charging infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> During the first TRAN meeting, your party colleagues pointed out the need to not forget the social dimension. \u201cOur role is clear. More climate, more affordability and more social policy for a better Europe. However, the proposal lacks a sufficiently strong social dimension\u201d, said Anouck Guillard, coordinator of the S&D. What are the central issues of the proposal regarding social questions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> Overall, the file is very weak on the social part. Provisions regarding workers, SMEs and lower income households are largely absent. Socially, we need to be very comprehensive: from protecting workers facing job losses due to the transformation of the industry to accountability of big corporations to meet their responsibility. It is not just in single articles but all throughout the draft report that we try to address the social dimension. Sometimes these changes are very small \u2014 a word, a definition. Cumulatively, they really change the character of the regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before the interview, Berzolla told the FT that the draft report on the CCV, which proposes specific amendments to the Commission’s text and sets the terms of debate for the subsequent negotiation in the TRAN Committee, will be published by mid this week.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> The TRAN Committee\u2019s draft report on the Clean Corporate Vehicles regulation is scheduled to be published on March 25<\/strong>. You have the lead on it. Can you outline the current state of the report?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> We finished the draft report last week. It is currently being reviewed by the legal team in the secretariat [of the TRAN Committee]. With the report we aim for balance between leaving space for future amendments, while being clear about our priorities with this regulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> How close is it to the original Commission proposal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> We put our stamp on it. It is quite far from the original text. Especially due to modifications on Article 4 that change the core power balance between the institutions. We also added three new articles: an infrastructure conditionality mechanism that links targets to actual charging infrastructure deployments, a second-hand market accessibility article that tracks whether the mobility transition is genuinely reaching lower income households and SMEs, and lastly, a non-compliance and remediation mechanism for large undertakings that fall short of their targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> Can you give more details on the amendments to Article 4?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> This was the article we discussed the most, because we need to keep the trilogues in mind. Therefore, we did not opt to scrap completely the delegation to the Commission. That would be an overreach, also because the Commission’s technical oversight and capacity for uniform application is genuinely useful. Instead, we established the essential criteria for what \u201cmade in the EU\u201d actually means directly in the regulation itself, so it can go through the ordinary legislative procedure. The delegated powers are now strictly limited to the technical measurements and the methodology. It will take a lot to negotiate this, but it is really needed for a fair regulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> There have been other elements in the original proposal that are publicly contested. One element is the scope of the CCV. Does your draft report propose changes to which firms and vehicle categories are covered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> No, we decided not to touch the scope. Of course, we might see MEPs trying to address this, but we analysed very carefully the Commission’s impact assessment and concluded that policy option PO1C is the most balanced one. It is ambitious enough to drive real change without creating a disproportionate burden on companies and citizens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘We put our stamp on it [the draft report]. It is quite far from the original text<\/em>.’<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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FT:<\/strong> As rapporteur, you have an important role to play<\/strong> in the final outcome of the parliament’s position for the negotiations with the Council. From your perspective, how are the intra-parliamentary negotiations proceeding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> We are advancing well. As pointed out, we refrain from working with the far right: a commitment I hope everyone upholds throughout the whole negotiations. But we are open to all other groups and see good working relationships. Of course, the negotiations will not become easier. The potential for contention is high, especially with Article 4 and our amendments to it, the target levels and the scope. It\u2019s a heavy file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> Speaking about the inter-institutional negotiations: The European Parliament’s position is only one part of the coin. In the end, also an agreement with the Council must be found. What signals are you getting about the shape of the Council’s general approach?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think we have been communicating enough with the Council and the member states. I am hopeful that the publication of the draft report will start to move the machine forward. As of now, I had the chance to meet with the German delegation, which gave me the impression that there are alliances forming that we didn\u2019t expect. This makes our job tougher and overall, we think we might have to reduce some ambition for the Council to agree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘The potential for contention is high, especially with Article 4 and our amendments to it, the target levels and the scope. It\u2019s a heavy file. … we think we might have to reduce some ambition for the Council to agree.’<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

FT:<\/strong> Ms Berzolla, thank you for your time and for sitting down with the FT. Do you have any other comments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berzolla:<\/strong> Thank you. I am glad the draft report is ready and think it will move things in the right direction. Let\u2019s not forget our joint responsibility for Europe\u2019s industrial base, citizens, and the climate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also read: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The divisive question of how to save the European automotive industry \u2013<\/strong>
by Joshua Starbatty<\/strong>
<\/a>The Commission\u2019s automotive package sparks controversy among lawmakers, industry and civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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