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Parliament committees support strict CO2 targets |
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Including air conditioning in vehicle testing, low vehicle CO2 emission limits, and strict deadlines are favoured by different committees of the European Parliament. Their proposals will help to promote innovation in the car industry.
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2007-07-19
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Several committees in the European Parliament are currently discussing an EU Strategy to reduce CO2 vehicle emissions. Meeting on 17 July, the Industry committee backed the introduction of CO2 emission limits of 120 g/km. While not specifying by which date this target should be achieved, the committee members rejected a further delay until 2015, as requested by the car industry. On the contrary, they emphasized that the proposed target of 120 g/km was already adopted ten years ago to be achieved by 2005, latest 2010. Hence the committee calls for ambitious emission targets below 100 g/km for the post-2012 period.
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The opinion, drafted by German Green Rebecca Harms, also urged the European Commission to assess total greenhouse gas emissions from cars, including those attributable to air conditioning systems. This would require new test cycles better reflecting real driving conditions.
The industry committee's proposals are in line with the opinion from the internal market committee stating that the 120 g/km target should be met "within five years" of the proposed legislation coming into effect.
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The committees' opinions
More specifically, the industry committee calls for:- An 80-100 g/km target for the medium term
- Tax incentives for buyers of low-emissive cars
- An assessment of the total car emissions, including air conditioning
- The development of new test cycles
The internal market committee proposes:- Compulsory labeling of efficiency categories, using simple letter or colour codes
- Consumer information to indicate vehicle tax (if based on CO2 emissions)
Next steps
More Parliament committees, including the Economy and the Transport committees, are expected to comment on the proposal by the European Commission to cut CO2 emissions down to 120 g/km by 2012. On 4 July, the Environment Committee discussed a draft report by the Liberal Chris Davies to limit CO2 emissions to 120 g/km by 2015. The full Parliament plenary vote is expected for October, before the Commission issues draft legislation by end-2007 or early-2008.
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More information:
 Draft opinion Industry Committee, 10 May 2007 (125 KB)
Draft opinion - Amendments, Industry Committee, 20 June 2007 (169 KB)
Draft opinion Internal Market Committee, 11 June 2007 (157 KB)
› See the article: "Controversy around EU CO2 targets for cars", 27 June
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