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Road transport to contribute more to the EU’s climate neutrality target
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New methodology for assessing CO2 emissions throughout the full life-cycle of a vehicle
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Aligning emission limit values with real-world emissions
Parliament approved the new CO2 emissions reduction targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, part of the “Fit for 55” package.
With 340 votes in favour, 279 against and 21 abstentions, MEPs endorsed the deal reached with the Council on revised CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans in line with the EU’s increased climate ambition.
The new legislation sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2035 (an EU fleet-wide target to reduce CO2 emissions produced by new cars and vans by 100% compared to 2021). Intermediate emissions reduction targets for 2030 are set at 55% for cars and 50% for vans.
Other key measures foreseen by the regulation:
- The Commission will present by 2025 a methodology to assess and report data on CO2 emissions throughout the full life-cycle of cars and vans sold on the EU market, accompanied by legislative proposals where appropriate;
- By December 2026, the Commission will monitor the gap between the emission limit values and the real-world fuel and energy consumption data, report on a methodology for adjusting the manufacturers’ specific CO2 emissions, and propose appropriate follow-up measures;
- Manufacturers responsible for small production volumes in a calendar year (1 000 to 10 000 new cars or 1 000 to 22 000 new vans) may be granted a derogation until the end of 2035 (those registering fewer than 1 000 new vehicles per year continue to be exempt);
- The current zero- and low- emission vehicles (ZLEV) incentive mechanism, which rewards manufacturers that sell more such vehicles (with emissions from zero to 50g CO2/km, such as electric vehicles and well-performing plug-in hybrids) with lower CO2 emission reduction targets, will be adapted to meet expected sales trends. From 2025 to 2029, the ZLEV benchmark is set at 25% for the sales of new cars, and 17% for new vans, and as of 2030 the incentive will be removed;
- Every two years, starting from the end of 2025, the Commission will publish a report to evaluate the progress towards zero-emission road mobility.
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Rapporteur Jan Huitema (Renew, NL) said: “This regulation encourages the production of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050. These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers. Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”
Next steps
Following the final vote in plenary, the text will now have to be formally endorsed by Council, too, before being published in the EU Official Journal shortly after.
Background
On 14 July 2021, as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, the Commission presented a legislative proposal for a revision of the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The proposal aims to contribute to the EU 2030 and 2050 climate objectives, deliver benefits to citizens and stimulate innovation in zero-emission technologies.
Further information
Europe driving its automotive industry toward a dead end – EPP Group
“Europe is driving its automotive industry towards a dead end. Today’s decision on banning combustion engines will make new cars more expensive, cost thousands of jobs and lead to the decline of a core European industry”, said Jens Gieseke MEP, the EPP Group negotiator on the new rules for the reduction of CO2 from new cars and vans, ahead of today’s plenary vote.
The new law includes a ban on sales of new cars with combustion engines from 2035, something the EPP Group opposes.
“Parliament has missed the last exit. Europe says goodbye to combustion engines from 2035, forcing people to go for one particular technology, instead of using innovation and science in finding the most efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions”, Gieseke stressed.
“The Greens, Social Democrats and Liberals have pushed through their dangerous and anti-innovation line. Their promise that new jobs would be created is not working. On the contrary, new battery productions are being established in Canada and the USA and hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe are now at risk. Moreover, their favourite argument of the cost-effectiveness of e-cars no longer holds water either because of high electricity prices and expiring purchase premiums”, underlined Gieseke.
“Furthermore, with today’s proposal on emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, the European Commission is finally backing down from its banning ideology. The Social Democratic Vice-President Timmermans has apparently not been able to get his way. This is a success for all those who have been campaigning for technological openness in recent months”, Gieseke explained.
The fields of application for heavy commercial vehicles are so diverse that a one-sided bet on pure electromobility cannot work. Competition is needed to find the smartest and most efficient solutions. What remains, however, is still a proposal with very ambitious reduction targets, which are a major challenge for the industry”, Gieseke said.
“The Commission continues to ignore the potential of synthetic fuels and does not attach any particular importance to them. This is negligent. At least on the subject of eTrailers, the Commission wants to recognise the potential added value of such developments. That is a good signal. European companies are particularly active here”, added Gieseke.
Source – EPP Group
EU-Abgeordneter Jens Gieseke (CDU) zum Verbrenner-Aus
Das Plenum hat heute das Trilogergebnis zu verschärften CO2-Emissionsnormen für PKW sowie leichte Nutzfahrzeuge bestätigt und damit das Verbrenner-Aus besiegelt. Hierzu erklärt Jens Gieseke (CDU), verkehrspolitischer Sprecher der CDU/CSU-Gruppe und Berichterstatter der EVP-Fraktion für das Dossier:
„Das Parlament hat die letzte Ausfahrt verpasst. Das Verbrenner-Verbot ab 2035 kommt. Grüne, Sozialdemokraten und Liberale haben sich mit ihrer gefährlichen und innovationsfeindlichen Linie durchgesetzt.
Die Technologieoffenheit in Europa kommt dabei unter die Räder. Hundertausende Jobs in Europa sind nun gefährdet. Die ersten Konsequenzen spüren wir bereits jetzt. Das von Liberalen, Grünen und Sozialdemokraten immer wiederholte Versprechen, dass genug neue Jobs in der EU entstehen werden, geht nicht auf. Neue Batterieproduktionen entstehen in Kanada und den USA. Und auch ihr Lieblingsargument der Kosteneffizienz von E-Autos zieht aufgrund der hohen Strompreise und auslaufender Kaufprämien nicht mehr.
Die heutige Entscheidung ist ein herber Schlag für den Industriestandort Europa.“
Hintergrund:
Ende letzten Jahres haben sich Vertreter von Rat, Kommission und Europaparlament auf neue CO2-Reduktionsziele für PKW und Lieferwagen geeinigt. Diese Einigung sieht vor, dass PKW bis 2030 ihre CO2-Emissionen um 55 Prozent senken müssen, Lieferwagen um 50 Prozent. Bis 2035 gelten für PKW und Transporter Reduktionsziele von 100 Prozent. Damit ist das Aus des Verbrennungsmotors besiegelt. Die EVP hatte sich in den Verhandlungen für ein Reduktionsziel von 90 Prozent bis 2035 eingesetzt, um die Technologieoffenheit zu wahren. Dafür gab es jedoch keine Mehrheit.
Under S&D leadership, European Parliament puts a ban on petrol and diesel-fuelled cars and vans by 2035
The European Parliament has reached a historic vote to phase out polluting cars and vans in the European Union by 2035.
The regulation, which is a key achievement spearheaded by the S&D Group, will gradually slash CO2 emissions from cars and vans until their complete decarbonisation by 2035, in line with the EU’s climate goals. Beyond the climate, the shift from polluting to zero-emissions cars will greatly decrease air pollution and its associated respiratory diseases, cancers, and premature deaths.
For the S&D Group, the phase out of fossil fuel cars will deliver more climate protection and improved well-being for all. It is also clear to us that the decarbonisation of the EU car industry will make it a global leader in the race to zero-emission mobility, and will create many new, quality jobs.
However, the transition needs to be socially fair in order to succeed. This is why we have also included in the regulation recommendations to ensure that member states will support the workers who are likely to be affected by this transition.
S&D MEP and shadow rapporteur, Sara Cerdas, said:
“The European Parliament, under our leadership, has taken a decisive step to turn the page of the polluting cars era in the EU. Thanks to the new regulation, manufacturers will have to gradually reduce emissions from cars and vans until the 100% decarbonisation target is reached by 2035. From then on, only zero-emission cars will be for sale on our continent.
“We know that the achievement of the EU’s climate goals will not fall from the sky. Hence, socialists and democrats are striving to put all economic sectors on track to meet them. And beyond climate, important gains are also expected in terms of reduced air pollution and therefore, better health and well-being for everyone.
“We have also battled to include a just transition by better monitoring and financing further measures to protect impacted workers in the car and van industry, including reskilling.”
S&D MEP and coordinator of the committee on the environment, public health and food safety, Tiemo Wölken, said:
“Acting on the climate crisis is badly needed as it increasingly harms our economies and societies. With this landmark decision, we can also dramatically reduce our dependency on oil imports, which will save billions of euros per year for EU consumers.
“For the transition to succeed, we need all citizens and companies on board. Hence, our ambition as socialists and democrats is to deeply decarbonise our economy while ensuring no one is left behind, especially the workers potentially impacted by the move to fully electric mobility.
“The pipedream solution that the European People’s Party proposed, continuing combustion with synthetic fuels, would have been much more expensive and would have wasted hydrogen that we need urgently in other sectors. Fortunately, reason has prevailed and we won the vote.”
Source – S&D Group
EU-Abgeordneter Tiemo Wölken (SPD) zum Verbrenner-Aus
Das EU-Parlament hat soeben für das Verbrenner-Aus gestimmt. Damit wird es ab 2035 keine Neuzulassungen von Autos und leichten Nutzfahrzeugen mit Verbrennungsmotor in der Europäischen Union mehr geben.
Tiemo Wölken, klimapolitischer Sprecher der S&D:
“Die jetzige finale Zustimmung des EU-Parlaments zum Verbrenner-Aus ab 2035 ist ein Erfolg für klimaschonenderen Straßenverkehr und setzt ein klares industriepolitisches Zeichen. Der Beschluss sichert den Weg zur Umstellung auf Autos ohne Verbrennungsmotor ab, auf den sich Automobilhersteller schon lange gemacht haben. Durch diese Entscheidung schaffen wir Rechtssicherheit für die Hersteller und Sicherheit für hunderttausende Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer in der europäischen Automobilindustrie. Gleichzeitig stellt der Beschluss sicher, dass technologische Schlüsselkompetenzen, wie die Fertigung von Batteriezellen, in der EU gehalten werden. Besonders vor dem Hintergrund des amerikanischen Inflation Reduction Acts ist es wichtig, jetzt Investitionssicherheit in der EU zu schaffen, damit die europäische Industrie nicht ins Hintertreffen gerät und Zukunftstechnologien nicht abwandern.”
Kurz vor der Abstimmung haben insbesondere Industrieverbände, die sich für die Verwendung von synthetischen Kraftstoffen einsetzen, für eine Ablehnung des Vorschlags lobbyiert.
“Synthetische Kraftstoffe, oft eFuels genannt, sind keine Lösung. Sie sind extrem knapp, extrem teuer und werden in anderen Sektoren, die nicht elektrifiziert werden können, viel dringender gebraucht. Dass die EVP und Teile der Liberalen gegen das finale Trilog-Ergebnis gestimmt haben, macht deutlich, dass es ihnen nicht um Klimaschutz und bezahlbare Mobilität für die Bürgerinnen und Bürger geht, sondern um simple Interessensvertretung für die Lobby für synthetische Kraftstoffe.”
Die EU-Mitgliedsstaaten hatten den Vereinbarungen bereits im November 2022 zugestimmt. Die heutige Abstimmung war der letzte Schritt, die Verordnung kann ab sofort in Kraft treten.
ECR: End of combustion engine to leave European industry dangerously dependent
The European Parliament’s decision to ban internal combustion engines will cost Europe hundreds of thousands of jobs and leave a vital European industry dangerously dependent on batteries, raw materials and rare earths of dubious origin and availability.
The ECR Group had previously called for technological openness, leaving room for further development of combustion technology. The Conservatives also criticised the environmental impact on countries where the necessary rare earths are mined. ECR shadow rapporteur Pietro Fiocchi said in the plenary debate:
“Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost in Europe as a result of this decision. What is also important is that we will become totally dependent on non-European countries, especially China — for example, for microchips, lithium, cobalt and so on.
“The environmental impact — for example in Africa, where important raw materials for electric cars are extracted — is terrible. We have to put it in the context of the reduction in CO2 that we hope to see.
“My hope remains that we will be more realistic when it comes to heavy and agricultural vehicles”.
Source – ECR via email