Press release
Cap cars' CO2 emissions at 120g/km, says Environment Committee
Environment - 12-09-2007 - 20:40
Committees
Committees
Carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars should be capped at an average of 120g/km from 2012, because the industry's voluntary commitment to reduce them is not working, says an own-initiative report adopted by the EP Environment Committee on Wednesday. About 19% of the EU's CO2 emissions come from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
Even though "the technology is there to make a significant difference in a short period of time", said rapporteur Chris Davies (ALDE, UK) before the vote, "industry has stalled in reducing CO2 emissions". Welcoming the Commission's plan to propose binding legislation in this field, which MEPs see as "necessary [...] to help the EU meet its target of reducing emissions by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels", the committee proposed that binding annual emissions targets be set with effect from 1 January 2009.
70g CO2/km or less by 2025?
Aligning themselves with the Commission, MEPs stress the need to ensure that average emissions from all passenger cars placed on the EU market from 1 January 2012 do not exceed 120g CO2/km. As of 2020, average emissions should not exceed 95g CO2/km. Long-term targets should be determined by no later than 2016, and "will possibly require further emissions reductions to 70g CO2/km or less by 2025".
Special cases
Recognizing that some specialist manufacturers may have difficulty in reducing average emissions across the limited range of cars they produce, members stress the importance of allowing particular vehicles to exceed emission limits to avoid excessive disruptions to the car market. To that end, they also propose that each manufacturer should have the right "to exclude 500 identified vehicles annually from inclusion in the data used to determine average emissions".
Carbon credits
Finally, the report proposes a "Carbon Allowance Reductions System (CARS)", to be introduced in 2011, under which carmakers would have to pay penalties for exceeding the emission limits. Such penalties "may be offset by redeemable credits awarded to newly-registered passenger cars" (from the same manufacturer), with emissions below the limit values. Information on vehicle emission performance should be made available to the public.
The report, to be put to a plenary vote in November, was adopted with 49 votes in favour, 3 against, and one abstention.
11/09/2007
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
In the chair: : Miroslav OUZKÝ (EPP-ED, CZ)
In the chair: : Miroslav OUZKÝ (EPP-ED, CZ)
Procedure: own-initiative
Plenary vote: November
REF.: 20070910IPR10218