As part of the preparation of the Green Deal (see EUROPE 12355/4) by the new European Commission, Eurocities, a network representing major European cities and capitals, suggests introducing objectives to gradually eliminate the sale and use of combustion engine vehicles.
According to the study, cities face three major challenges: decarbonisation, increased demand for mobility and digitisation. Regarding the decarbonisation component, the study calls for, in addition to the gradual elimination of combustion powered vehicles, the objectives of reducing CO2 emissions in line with the 2050 objectives of carbon neutrality and strengthening the internalisation of the external costs of road vehicles in national road pricing and taxation.
Here, cities are asking Member States to give them the power to design and introduce road pricing systems. In addition, they are calling for an end to the favourable tax regime on aviation kerosene and for the surplus revenue thus generated to be reinvested in innovative solutions, in particular synthetic fuels. Cities are also taking the maritime sector to task and are proposing to abolish tax exemptions for fuels dedicated to the maritime sector.
They also call for urban mobility to be placed at the heart of the green objectives of the cohesion policy and for the establishment of a European mechanism (creation of an information and data portal) to break down best practices on Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs) and the creation of low emission zones.
To consult the full study: http://bit.ly/2r7gIEQ (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)