As 8 November approaches, lobbying at the European Commission is being stepped up in an attempt to influence the legislative proposals expected next Wednesday on the post-2020 revision of CO2 emission standards and the European fleet of new cars and vans (see EUROPE 11895).
According to the German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany is not going to be outdone in attempting to provide a counterweight to the eight member states and European Consumers Organisation (BEUC), which have been mobilising in support of ambitious targets.
German manoeuvres. The draft regulation is currently the subject of an inter-service consultation at the European Commission and appears to have been amended, following an intervention by the VDA, the German automobile industry lobby. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, on Thursday 26 October, the president of the VDA, Matthias Wissman, sought, “confidential meetings with senior officials, after the meeting with Jean-Claude Junker’s Head of cabinet, Martin Zelmayr”. On Friday 27 October, he is said to have spoken to the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Miguel Arias Cañete and, in this regard, is said to have, “requested a reduction of around 20% in the targets”.
Seven countries want reduction of at least 40% in emissions by 2030 and 2025 target. Seven member states (Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia) previously wrote to the European Commission in a joint letter from their environment and transport ministers (or both ministers, in the case of Luxembourg), calling on the Commission to demonstrate a sufficient level of ambition.
They emphasised that the development and expansion of clean vehicle technologies would be essential for determining whether the proposed emission reductions could be achieved. They also said that according to several studies, the EU’s climate targets for 2030 would not be attained without significantly improving vehicle efficiency and increasing the number of electric vehicles. The letter signatories also argue that an insufficient level of ambition in the transport sector would compromise the EU’s 2030 climate objectives, namely a reduction of at least 40% of its emissions compared to 1990 levels. They also highlight the close link between the proposals expected on 8 November and the draft regulation on reduction burden sharing between member states in sectors not covered by the ETS.
On this basis, they are calling for: an ambitious mandate for “zero emission” vehicles and ultralow emissions by imposing a gradual increase in the number of these vehicles in the total vehicle fleet; ambitious and realistic proposals for emissions standards for passenger cars and vans, based on the new Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) up to 2025 and reduction of at least 40% in emissions by 2030; an ambitious but realistic target for 2025 for heavy duty vehicles; tests in real driving conditions for CO2 emissions similar to those registered for different pollutants, with minimum limits that should not be exceeded, and efforts to inform consumers and avoid any kind of possible fraud in the future with antipollution standards; a strategy and action plan for decarbonisation in the road sector in general, including an ambitious strategy for creating electric infrastructure, modal transfers and the increased use of public transport.
These ambitious member states are among those that do not have an automobile industry. France, however, which does have a strong car industry, also supports a target for “zero emission” vehicles.
The European Consumers Organisation (BEUC) is convinced that European consumers have “a lot to gain from purchasing low carbon and fuel-efficient cars” in terms of benefits to their health, making a contribution to environmental protection and financial savings. On 25 October, they also wrote to the Commission calling on it to propose a reduction in CO2 emissions by at least 40% for new vehicles by 2030, with an intermediate target for 2025, the upgrading of the global CO2 emissions verification measure in real driving conditions to ensure respect for European standards and improved consumer information. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)