Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Germany should not push for more ambitious EU car fleet emission limits.

“I think the [European] Commission’s proposal forms a reasonable basis” for the upcoming negotiations, Merkel said at an event hosted by the industry association BDI. She added that more ambitious targets carried the risk that carmakers move production outside Europe.

The European Commission has proposed to reduce car emissions by 15 percent by 2025 and by 30 percent by 2030, compared to 2021 levels. Germany’s environment ministry has pushed for minus 25 percent by 2025 and minus 50 percent by 2030, but the ministries for economic affairs and transport are both against going that far, according to Clean Energy Wire.

Merkel’s view was echoed by economy minister Peter Altmaier who said at the same event that the EU Commission proposal was already ambitious, “I’m not prepared to go beyond it”.

Merkel also said that Germany should soon specify its climate targets for the middle of the century. “In the early 2020s, it must be clear where we’re headed,” Merkel said. At present, Germany aims to cut emissions by 80 to 95 percent by 2050. Merkel said the difference between these figures was “enormous.”