EU to launch plans to promote electric cars

January 20 Xinhua Brussels, the EU's rotating presidency of Spain's Prime Minister Jose Zapatero 20th said that as a part of future economic development strategy, the EU will launch a plan to vigorously promote the development and use of electric vehicles.　　Speaking at the European Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg, France, Mr Zapatero said Spain would work with the European Commission on the promotion of electric vehicles as the EU's rotating presidency. Mr Zapatero said this would be a part of the EU's economic development strategy for the next 10 years.　　The Spanish government has said the EU's economic development strategy for the next 10 years will be the focus of its EU presidency in the first half of the year. The new development plan will replace the "Lisbon Strategy", which expires in 2010, as a programmatic document to guide the development of the EU economy in the next 10 years.　　According to a preliminary idea put forward by the European Commission last November, the EU will move towards a more "green" knowledge-based economy, and the promotion of greener electric vehicles is in line with this development. According to the plan, the leaders of EU Member States will discuss the new economic development strategy at the Special summit on February 11, and finally pass the summit in June.