An early Christmas present for the car industry. Photo: ©Tale – Shutterstock.com

EU “clean mobility” package presented

On 8 November the European Commission proposed a legislative package aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions in road transport and encouraging the uptake of electric cars. Under the proposal, average CO₂ output from new cars and vans should fall by 30 per cent by 2030.

The proposal sets an intermediate target of a 15 per cent CO₂ emissions cut by 2025, based on the average emissions from a manufacturer’s entire fleet of vehicles registered in a given year. The percentage reductions are calculated from base year 2021, by which time current regulations stipulate average emissions should not exceed 95 grams of CO₂ per kilometre for new cars, or 147 g/km for vans.

Rather than a production quota to boost the production of electric and other clean vehicles, the proposal relies on an incentive mechanism.

Environmental group Transport & Environment commented that the 30-per-cent target would only cover a third of the emissions cuts needed in the sector by 2030, and the package was an “early Christmas present” for the car industry.

The proposal will now be considered by the European Council and Parliament, which will suggest their own changes before a final compromise is struck, probably in early 2019.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 8 November 2017.

Commission’s proposal: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/vehicles/proposal_en

Road traffic

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