Brussels, 26/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - A political agreement was reached in trialogue, on Wednesday 26 June, on the draft regulation setting the application conditions of the limits laid down by the legislation in force on emissions of CO2 from newly registered light commercial vehicles in the EU by 2020, in the latest victory to be chalked up to the Irish Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The day before, an inter-institutional political agreement was reached on the additional draft regulation on reducing CO2 emissions from new cars by 2020 (see EUROPE 10874).
For light commercial vehicles, the political agreement between the Parliament, the Council and the European Commission, which paves the way for a first-reading agreement on this text, confirms the objective of 147 grams/km by 2020, recognises the need to do better by 2025 but does not lay down any objectives beyond 2020, to the great disappointment of the environmental NGOs. The parliamentary committee on the environment had argued in favour of an objective of between 105 grams and 120 grams of CO2 for 2025.
Holger Krahmer (ADLE, Germany), rapporteur, who negotiated on behalf of the Parliament, welcomed the deal. “I welcome the confirmation of the 147g/km target for 2020, as agreed two years ago”, he said.
The NGO Transport & Environment, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment that the EU had failed to adopt a more ambitious 2020 target for reductions in fuel and CO2 emissions, with 147g/km broadly considered to be far less demanding than for cars. (AN/transl.fl)