EU

In a surprise move, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee has completely rejected moves to water down and postpone fuel efficiency standards for new cars in Europe.

Earlier this month the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) voted in a raft of amendments to the fuel efficiency legislation that included phasing-in the 130 g/km CO₂ limit by 2015.

The Environment Committee, however, has reinstated the implementation of the 130 g/km CO₂ limit by 2012 and called for a long-term target of 95 g/km by 2020, subject to review in 2014.

Proposals to reduce the penalties for car makers who fail to comply with the new targets from €95 per gram of CO₂ exceeded to €50 were also rejected by the Committee.

“The Parliament appears to have stood up to the demands of the car industry and… sent a strong signal that Europeans need fuel efficient cars now,” says Jos Dings of lobby group Transport & Environment.

The short-term target can be achieved with current technology, he says, but the long-term target should send a message to the car industry that it needs to change its ways and put its efforts into developing the next generation of fuel efficient cars.

The legislation still needs to be ratified by the full European Parliament and the car-makers lobby looks set to maintain pressure to tone down the measures.

“The European car industry calls on legislators to refrain from threatening the future of car production in Europe,” says Ivan Hodac, Secretary General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). “The Environment Committee has given a wrong signal today. This is bad news for Europe.”

Hodac says that while car-makers support the need to reduce CO₂ emission from cars, legislators need to recognise the restraints that manufacturers face in fulfilling the requirements.

For further information:
www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/homeCom.do?language=EN&body=ENVI
www.transportenvironment.org/News/2008/9/MEPs-stand-up-for-fuel-efficient-cars/
www.acea.be/

Related stories:
European Parliament committee votes to water down fuel efficiency standards (3-Sept)
Car manufacturers stalling on CO₂ emission reductions (29-Aug)