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 Index 
 Full text 
Verbatim report of proceedings
Tuesday, 2 October 2018 - Strasbourg Revised edition

Emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles (debate)
MPphoto
 

  Miguel Arias Cañete, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, it is a pleasure to be here today for the debate on the Commission proposal setting CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans for the period up to 2020. This is a key proposal to implement the 2030 climate and energy framework, to continue delivering on our commitments under the Paris Agreement and to contribute to the transition to a low carbon economy.

This is not just essential for the climate, but also for Europe’s economic prosperity and global competiveness. With the adoption of the legislative proposals on the 2030 climate and energy framework, thanks to the excellent work of all our institutions, the European Union is turning its global commitments into reality and is determined to continue as a world leader in the fight against climate change.

Under the Effort Sharing Regulation the Member States now have binding emission reduction targets up to 2030 in the sectors not included in the European Union Emissions Trading System – that is transport, buildings, agriculture and waste. Now it is time to make sure that at European level we have the right regulatory framework in place to contribute to meeting these targets. With almost a quarter of the European Union’s total greenhouse gas emissions coming from transport, this sector has a vital role to play in this transition. While Europe has reduced its emissions by some 23% since 1990, road transport emissions have grown by about 20% and today, transport accounts for more than 20% of Europe’s total emissions and this continues to grow.

The Commission’s legislative proposal setting the new CO2 standards for cars and vans for post-2020 is therefore an essential instrument to address this. Your vote tomorrow is instrumental to allow the adoption of the proposal during the current legislative term and we need to give a clear and stable regulatory signal to industry as soon as possible because this will stimulate the right investments in the transition towards zero emission mobility.

I want to thank the rapporteur, Ms Dalli, for her hard work on this proposal, putting together the position of this Parliament, as well as for our constructive discussions and cooperation. I would also like to thank the shadow rapporteurs for their work.

I want to underline that the Commission proposal, underpinned by a thorough impact assessment, is both ambitious and realistic. It strikes the right balance between the three main policy objectives that cannot be considered in isolation: firstly, achieving environmental benefits, secondly, bringing savings for consumers and finally, safeguarding employment and competitiveness in the European Union.

The Commission proposal allows for a smooth, gradual and realistic transition to zero emission vehicles. The pace of the transition is essential, as the automotive sector is crucial for Europe’s prosperity, providing jobs for 12 million people in manufacturing, sales, maintenance and transport and accounting for 4% of gross domestic product.

We need to give sufficient time to achieve this reformation, to undertake the necessary investments and to reskill and upskill the workers in the current automotive supply chain. Our target will have positive impacts on the overall economy. At the same time, the number of jobs will remain stable in the automotive sector.

Our proposal will also bring significant environmental benefits. The proposal is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport by around 22% between 2005 and 2030, contributing to our necessary efforts to implement the Paris Agreement. We have already agreed, or proposed, additional policies which will further reduce emissions from this sector, including the recently agreed Renewable Energy Directive, as well as the proposal on CO2 standards for heavy duty vehicles, the revised Eurovignette and the Clean Vehicles and Combined Transport Directives.

From the side of consumers, the 30% target will bring significant economic benefits. Consumers will save money – up to EUR 400 for the average new car bought in 2025 and more than EUR 1 400 in 2030.

Let me conclude by saying once again that the Commission remains fully supportive of the efforts of Parliament and the Council to conclude positive discussions on this proposal still this year. I look forward to continuing to work with you on the proposal and bringing it to a positive successful conclusion. This is what our citizens, our consumers, our companies and our workers expect from all of us.

 
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