Brussels, 25/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Just for once, environmental, industrial and consumers pressure groups were in unison in welcoming a European Commission proposal - in this case the one on a clean fuels strategy tabled by European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas on Thursday 24 January. The strategy fixes a timetable and common standards in order to develop the filling station infrastructure for vehicles operating on electricity, hydrogen or gas (see EUROPE 10771). Nevertheless, it is the electrification of transport which is capturing everyone's attention.
In the view of Jos Dings, the director at Transport & Environment (T&E): “This is a small, but largely welcome, step towards breaking the monopoly of oil and biofuels that cause climate change. Achieving 70% emissions reductions by 2050 requires many measures, and moving away from today's liquid fuels is surely one of them. Clean electrification is one important option and obliging member states to roll out electric charging infrastructure is one step towards it.” He also expects the Commission to set ambitious objectives for car emissions so that manufacturers can produce vehicles that will use this infrastructure.
However, manufacturers - represented by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) - consider that the industry has already put forward a number of solutions through its investments in clean vehicles. ACEA argues for “cooperation between utility providers, infrastructure companies, the energy sector, standardisation bodies and the automotive industry - with the full support of national governments and the European institutions. This proposal takes a step in the right direction in fostering such synergies.” ACEA also underlines the need for a standard plug for electric vehicles. FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) shares this point of view: “Standard plugs and infrastructure for vehicles can help give drivers of electric vehicles certainty when travelling cross-border”, said FIA's director general, Jacob Bangsgaard. FIA also considers that standardisation has an important role to play in increasing user acceptance of new technologies when promoting competition in the energy sector to the benefit of consumers.
The only discordant note is that the railway sector is disappointed because “the package barely mentions the role that rail can play in helping solve these problems, and in particular the need for further support to ensure that the European rail network can be fully electrified. All modes need to be supported to be as clean as they possibly can”, said Libor Lochman, the executive director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER). (MD/transl.fl)