EU countries reach climate crisis deal after late-night talks

Environment ministers back phasing out fossil-fuel cars by 2035 and a 59bn fund to help ease cost burden of new policies on low income earners

EU countries clinched deals on proposed laws to combat the climate crisis in the early hours of Wednesday, backing a 2035 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car sales and a multibillion-euro fund to shield poorer citizens from the costs of carbon dioxide emissions.

After more than 16 hours of negotiations, environment ministers from the 27 member states agreed their joint positions on five laws, part of a broader package of measures to slash planet-heating emissions this decade.