In a debate in the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, on Monday 27 September, MEPs gave a cautious welcome to the proposed revision of the EU regulation (2019/631) that will tighten EU standards for CO2 emissions from new cars and vans.
While all MEPs recognised the need for road transport to contribute to the EU’s climate effort, they were divided and cautious about the relevance of the proposal, which they felt needed to be improved at least.
Presented as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, this proposal aims to make Europe’s fleet of cars and vans zero emission by 2035 (see EUROPE 12762/3).
The European Commission representative stressed that this was a balanced proposal, which will allow the road sector, which accounts for 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions, to contribute.
The representative insisted on the Commission’s willingness “to accompany this transition in the automotive value chain” through the Just Transition Fund, the ESF+ and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Among the benefits, the representative cited a level playing field for manufacturers, savings of €50-60 billion in health care, fuel savings for both new and second-hand vehicles.
Rapporteur Jan Huitema (Renew Europe, Netherlands) recognised these advantages, saying that the future regulation will be “an effective tool to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This is crucial”. He emphasised the opportunity that will be offered to the consumer “to choose an alternative solution and save money”, as well as the interest in stimulating innovation, securing investment and getting back into the electric vehicle race at international level. “I hope that in the Parliament, we will be very clear on these points”, he said.
While no timetable has yet been set for the report he will prepare, he says he is willing to meet bilaterally with the shadow rapporteurs.
Contrary to the Commission, the EPP group finds that the proposal does not provide legal certainty, as the institution brings forward the review of the standards by two years, which was foreseen for 2023 in the 2019 regulation, and thus shortens the time for the industry to adapt.
Furthermore, the EPP criticises the proposal for not respecting the principle of technological neutrality for cars and hopes that the EU will remain open to hydrogen. It also fears the many job losses that will result from the end of fuel engines and the inequalities if subsidies for electromobility cannot be paid in all Member States, and if charging infrastructure is not present in all EU countries.
For the ECR group, this proposal is bad from A to Z as it is not neutral from a technological point of view, it will reduce the supply of vehicles, it will make the purchase of new or second-hand vehicles much more expensive and it is the middle class that will pay for it. Not to mention the EURO VII standards by 2025.
The S&D group, while stressing the importance of this proposal for the decarbonisation of transport, said it would have liked a more ambitious proposal with shorter deadlines. “Why has the 2025 target (a 15% reduction) not been changed and why a reduction after 2030 and not before? We are wasting time! “, said the Portuguese MEP, Sara Cerdas.
According to Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands), “our aim is for zero emissions by 2035. The life cycle of a car is 16 years, so after 2050 there will still be emissions on the road”. He also deplored the maintenance until 2029 of a bonus “which is in reality a subsidy for non-clean vehicles” and the failure to take into account the mass of vehicles, “which encourages 4x4s”.
The ID group did not take the floor. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)