Verheugen speaks out for big German car makers
By Honor Mahony
EU industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen has spoken out in defence of manufacturers of large German cars saying they must not bear the greatest burden in the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Mr Verheugen, himself a German, made it clear that he does not believe that large car manufacturers alone should be the ones making the biggest sacrifices in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
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"We should not forget that luxury cars and upper mid-range cars are our particular strength."
He said that although he was expecting the greatest progress from the biggest models, he pointed out that smaller car makers also have a lot to do.
"The threshold cannot be the same for every car," said the commissioner.
His words come as the European Commission prepares what is to be a highly controversial plan on how car manufacturers should reach the headline goal of reducing CO2 emissions of all new cars to an average limit of 130 grammes/km by 2012.
The goal was proposed in spring this year and is part of general EU plans to improve the bloc's environment record. The detailed plans are due by December at the latest.
Already the idea has pitted manufacturers of large cars - generally German - against those of smaller, often more fuel efficient cars - such as Italy's Fiat or France's Peugeot.
French and Italian car-makers tend to argue that all car makers should meet the new EU limit, regardless of size.
Germany is arguing that manufacturers such as Porsche should have more leeway on meeting the limits.
The German car industry - supported by Mr Verheugen - has mounted a lobbying action
in Brussels to get their concerns taken into account. The run-up to the publishing of the 130 g/km goal in Spring was tarnished by a major spat between Mr Verheugen and his environment colleague Stavros Dimas.
Earlier this week, newspaper reports suggested that car emission limits would be tailored according to the weight of the car.
This is seen as more favourable to German car makers. Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler told German economic weekly Wirtschaftwoche that he would be in favour of a weight-based emissions initiative.