MEPs stick with strong line on CO2 emissions from cars
LEIGH PHILLIPS
26.09.2008 @ 09:24 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - In a surprise vote, deputies in the European Parliament's environment committee have put car manufacturers on the back foot, not only endorsing European Commission proposals for restricting carbon dioxide emissions from cars by 2012, but by proposing a second, deeper target for reductions by 2020.
A secondary target for car emissions reductions by 2020 was added to the bill (Photo: EUobserver.com)
The bill would force car firms to cut the average emissions of CO2 in new cars to 130 grams per kilometre by 2012 - a reduction of some 24 percent on the average 158 grammes of CO2 per kilometre cars emit today.
Companies that do not meet the 130g target would be fined €20 per gramme per kilometre over the limit in 2012, a sum that would increase to €95 by 2015.
The car industry, in particular German manufacturers, who produce much heavier, more polluting vehicles than their French and Italian counterparts, which had spent enormous effort in trying to dilute the commission's proposals, was effectively rebuffed by the vote.
Compromise amendments to the bill that echoed what the industry had been lobbying for would have delivered a three-step phase-in of the emissions reduction targets, with 70 percent of a company's car fleet having to meet the target in 2012, 80 percent in 2014 and only the full fleet having to meet the target in 2015.
The fine on car firms too would have been sharply reduced, from €95 per gramme per kilometre to €50.
Such moves had been supported by the Socialist responsible for shepherding the bill through the environment committee, Guido Sacconi, along with conservative members. However, MEPs from Mr Sacconi's own grouping in the end sided with the Liberals and the Greens to back legislation in keeping with the European Commission's proposals, issued last December, in a 46 to 19 vote.
Euro-deputies went even further than the commission's proposals and introduced a requirement that would see manufacturers have to meet a target of a maximum 95 grammes of CO2 per kilometre on average by 2020, subject to a review in 2014.
The commission's original proposals had not included any secondary target.
"The lobby from the car industry lost," said UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies after the vote. "MEPs today stood up for tougher measures to combat global warming and sent a strong message to corporate lobbyists to back off.
"The package is weaker than the parliament proposed last year but very much better than might have been expected given the amount of arm twisting and political threats that has taken place."
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) warned that the vote "threaten[ed] the future of car production in Europe."
"The Environment Committee has given a wrong signal today," said Ivan Hodac, the group's secretary-general. "This is bad news for Europe, especially with the overall economic circumstances deteriorating already."
Green groups however, were pleasantly surprised.
"The parliament appears to have stood up to the demands of the car industry and four or five car producing member states and has sent a strong signal that Europeans need fuel efficient cars now, not in five or ten years time," said Jos Dings, director of green transport campaign group Transport & Environment.
Meanwhile, Franziska Achterberg, Greenpeace's EU transport campaigner, was optimistic that the vote "means that the car emissions legislation could still become the first effective EU law to limit our impact on the climate."
The commission's proposals must still however win approval of the full sitting of the European Parliament. The chamber is expected to vote on the bill some time in November.
