BRUSSELS: EU member states and the European Parliament have reached an agreement to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035 in a bid to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
The new decision is expected to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
UN delegates signed the first agreement on the bloc's Fit for 55-inch provisions, set up to meet the European Union's target of a 55% reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases.
The previous target was to reduce emissions of such gases, including carbon dioxide, by 37.5 % during this period.
The approval of the new agreement comes as the climate change conference of the 27-nation European Union is about to take place.
The European Commission has agreed to a 100 % reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by car manufacturers by 2035, as it will be impossible for UN countries to deliver fuel-powered vehicles.
"This is a clear signal that the UN is committed to clear legislation to combat climate change," said Pascal Canfin, chair of the European Parliament's environment committee.
According to the European Union, the transport sector is the only sector where greenhouse emissions could increase by 33.5% between 1990 and 2019.
Cars account for 61 % of the total carbon dioxide emissions from road transport.
The union's move is to drastically reduce vehicle emissions by 2050 and promote electric cars.
Pascal Canfin also said that banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles is a historic decision to balance the climate by 2050, setting a decarbonisation pathway for the years 2025, 2030 and 2035.
On the other hand, the environmental organization Greenpeace said that the deadline of 2035 is too long and that by 2028, diesel and petrol cars should be completely banned.
Parliament's lead negotiator Jan Huitema said he hoped more people would be able to buy new zero-emission cars quickly because they were cheaper.
As regulators increase pressure on carmakers to control carbon footprints, many have announced investments in electrification.
Volkswagen boss Thomas Schaeffer has said that from 2033, only electric cars will be produced in Europe.