Strasbourg, 6 May 2025
On Tuesday, MEPs agreed to use the urgent procedure for a targeted change to CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans.
The current rules set annual targets, covering five-year periods, for reducing average CO2 emissions from new cars and vans across the EU fleet. From 2025, an annual CO2 emission reduction target of 15% compared to 2021 values will be in application for the 2025-2029 period.
The proposed change would offer manufacturers the possibility to comply with their obligations for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 by averaging their performance over the three-year period, rather than each individual year. This approach would allow them to balance any excess annual emissions by outperforming the target in subsequent year(s).
Before MEPs voted, representatives of the political groups held a round of short interventions on the issue.
Next steps
Following the agreement to use the urgent procedure, Parliament is now expected to vote on the proposal on Thursday, 8 May.
Background
The proposal is part of the Commission’s industrial action plan for the European automotive sector, announced on 5 March 2025. It followed the strategic dialogue on the future of the automotive industry launched by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 30 January 2025, which involved an open public consultation and discussions with both sides of industry and stakeholders to address the most pressing challenges facing the sector.
Further information
- Procedure file
- Commission proposes flexibility to help manufacturers comply with 2025 CO2 emission targets for new cars and vans (1.4.2025)
- CO2 emission performance standards for cars and vans (European Commission)
Source – EU Parliament
ECR group: EU Commission’s climbdown on emissions should be just the start of tackling auto industry crisis
Strasbourg, 6 May 2025
Making the vehicle emissions regime in Europe more flexible is a welcome move – if long-overdue – but the Commission needs to go much further to give the crisis-hit automotive sector in Europe hope of recovery, Carlo Fidanza MEP told the European Parliament today in Strasbourg.
Speaking for the ECR Group, Mr Fidanza called the Commission’s ideologically driven approach on emissions “a decline that we have imposed on ourselves” that had brought the industry to its knees.
The Commission’s proposal to amend the legislation allows manufacturers to average fleet CO₂ emissions over a three-year period, rather than annually, helping mitigate the impact of short-term disruptions such as supply chain issues or delayed model rollouts.
ECR shadow rapporteur on the dossier, Alexandr Vondra MEP, has tabled an amendment to extend this time limit from three to five years for the calendar years 2025-2029 in the calculation of the compliance with CO₂ emission performance standards.
Speaking in the parliamentary debate on the reform of the regulation, Mr Fidanza, head of the Italian delegation to the ECR Group, said:
“For months we have been asking in vain for an urgent resolution to the crisis affecting the automotive sector.
“After so long, we are finally discussing a revision of the legislation, which is certainly a step in the right direction.
“However, the proposal fails to respond adequately to the impact of fines. It’s incomprehensible why the Commission maintains this punitive regime for the heavy-vehicle sector when only 2.3 per cent of HGVs in Europe are zero-emissions.
“This is just a sticking plaster when it comes to addressing the deep crisis in the automotive sector. We want to see a comprehensive revision the entire regulation to save European companies and workers from a decline that we have imposed on ourselves.
“Central to Europe’s approach should be the principle of technological neutrality, which is consistently undermined by Europe’s abject surrender to the Chinese electric vehicle industry.”
Parliament today voted to accelerate its vote on this proposal, with MEPs due to vote on Thursday 8 May.
Source – ECR Group (via email)