EU member states vote to weaken van CO2 targets proposed by Commission
Fri 12 November 2010
View all news
European Union member states have voted to limit carbon dioxide emissions from vans and other light commercial vehicles to 155 grams per kilometre by 2020, a level significantly higher than that recommended by the European Commission.
The European Commission had proposed to limit van emissions to 135g/km, about one-third below the average level achieved in 2007. Subsequently, the European Parliament's Environment Committee called for the target to be reduced, but only to 140g/km. Member states also agreed to delay the imposition of an interim target of 175g/km by a year - from 2016 to 2017 - and to soften penalties envisaged for manufacturers failing to meet the targets.
ENDS reports that efforts to relax fuel efficiency target levels were led by countries with important automotive industries such as Germany.
The environmental transport group T&E is critical of the developments. T&E's campaign coordinator Kerstin Meyer said: "It seems the car-making nations have been very keen to listen to their industry lobby. This is absolutely the wrong signal just ahead of Cancun."
T&E says carmakers have the technological capability to limit emissions from vans but will not make the investment until legislation requires them to do so.
The UK's car industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that the Commission is ill advised in trying to extend the ideas it used to set car CO2 emissions to vans and other light commercial vehicles and that it is under pressure from the Belgian Presidency to make a deal by the end of the year. The SMMT says that politicians are showing a failure to understand the differences between the way private people use cars and business use commercial vehicles.
The European car industry group ACEA also said a g/km limit is inappropriate for vehicles that transport goods, but if such a limit must be used for vans it should be set at 160g/km by 2020.
Related Links
< Back to news list