The Council’s “environment” working group has gone as far as it possibly can in relation to last November’s proposal for a European regulation aimed at a 30% reduction of CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans in the EU by 2030, with an intermediary objective of -15% by 2025. This is ahead of the first political debate by European environment ministers in Luxembourg on 25 June (see EUROPE 12035).
The level of ambition of clean vehicle objectives and incentives are subjects on which the Bulgarian presidency of the Council will sound out European environment ministers on 25 June in order to devise guidelines.
On 13 June, the 28 ambassadors for the EU validated the two questions prepared, namely: - Does the level of ambition of the 2025 and 2030 objectives strike a good balance between the need for adequate contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and ensuring jobs in Europe, as well as the competitiveness of the European motor industry? – Is the incentive mechanism in favour of vehicles with low/no emissions, as proposed by the Commission, the most effective means of promoting this kind of vehicle?
The German delegation is one of many that has not yet finalised its stance. Talks are underway between the relevant ministers (environment, transport, finance, economy). “The objective is to reach a position by the time the Environment Council is held”, a source told EUROPE.
According to a memo from the Bulgarian presidency, a number of delegations are in favour of the objectives proposed, while others find them over-ambitious or, to the contrary, recommend they be fixed at a higher level (Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, in particular – see EUROPE 12035).
Some delegations hope to do away with the fleet’s vehicle mass used as a parameter for calculating makers’ specific objectives, while others advocate keeping it.
The risk of seeing the proposal entail an intra-European “carbon leakage” in the transport sector which would result in an increase in imports of second-hand vehicles from high income member states to less wealthy member states was mentioned.
Incentives for marketing zero or low emission vehicles are generally well received but some delegations consider these would favour vehicles with no emissions to too great an extent compared with low emissions vehicles such as rechargeable hybrids. Others would prefer incentives to be geared to zero emission vehicles.
Some delegations would like to establish a “bonus/malus” mechanism whereby makers not achieving the reference value would be penalised by being assigned higher objectives (a “bonus/penalty” system).
A number of delegations could support the fixing of binding quotas for vehicles with zero emissions or low emissions.
The Council’s working group also examined measures aimed at helping makers to reach their objectives (maker groups, derogations and eco-innovations).
Under scrutiny also were the provisions concerning CO2 emissions and energy consumption in real driving conditions and CO2 emissions compliance, including the changes made to the worldwide harmonised light vehicle test procedure (WLTP). The question of perfecting a test allowing emissions to be tested in real driving conditions (RDE) was raised.
At the European Parliament, Miriam Dalli (S&D, Malta), rapporteur, supports not only an objective for reducing emissions by 50% by 2030, with an intermediary target of -25% by 2025, but also an RDE test (real driving emissions test).
The draft report will be voted on 10 September in the Parliament’s environment committee. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)