Brussels, 07/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 4 October, member states formally ratified, by qualified majority, the political agreement reached in June during the trilogue meeting on targets for reducing emissions from light utility vehicles up to 2020. As opposed to what we indicated in EUROPE 10936, a vote did indeed take place on this dossier, and the average target for van fleets recently registered in the EU is set at147 g/km up to 2020. This confirmation vote is expected to avoid the need for a second reading on the draft regulation listing application modalities for the current limits imposed on CO2 emissions from vans but does not go as far as the German position, which sought a four-year postponement on the targets set out in the legislation.
The Lithuanian presidency of the Council has decided to separate this dossier from the one on CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and on which Coreper has not voted. The text of the political agreement will therefore be sent back for discussion at a ministerial level during the Environment Council in Luxembourg on 14 October next. (AN/transl.fl)