The European Commission presented, on Tuesday 14 February, a new legislative proposal for new CO2 emission reduction targets for urban, rural and long-distance trucks and buses. The proposal comes as MEPs approved the Interinstitutional Agreement on reducing emissions from new cars and vans by 2035 on the same day (see other news) (see EUROPE 13053/1).
Responsible for more than 6% of greenhouse gas emissions and 25% of road transport emissions in the EU, these heavy-duty vehicles will gradually be subject to standards aimed at limiting their emissions. For example, new trucks and buses should have their emissions reduced by 45% from 2030, 65% in 2035 and 90% in 2040 and be powered by batteries and hydrogen. In contrast, city buses are expected to reach the ‘zero emission’ target by 2030.
While the bar has been set at 100% emission reduction for new vehicles and vans in 2035, the Commission is playing it safe by setting the threshold at 90% for heavy-duty vehicles.
“There is still a long way to go for alternative fuels for trucks. A balance was sought between the various interests, as this is a challenge for the sometimes small companies that use trucks. Special circumstances, such as climatic conditions, must also be taken into account. A lot of energy is needed for some vehicles, in mountainous or snowy environments”, commented the European Commission Vice-President in charge of the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans.
Furthermore, no indication has been given as to when the vehicles concerned will have to reach the ‘zero emissions’ target.
There are also some exemptions and provisions, such as for buses in rural areas. “We have also taken into account the requirements of rural areas with different rules, where buses will be treated according to the same standards as trucks and not like urban buses. There will be more room for manoeuvre”, said Mr Timmermans.
The Commission’s proposal also includes a number of exemptions, notably for manufacturers who have registered fewer than 100 new heavy-goods vehicles in a one-year period.
Certain obligations will be placed on manufacturers as well. They will be expected to, for example, report to the Commission “without delay” any discrepancies between the CO2 emission values of heavy-duty vehicles in service resulting from the checks carried out and those indicated in the certificates of conformity or in the customer information file.
The Commission could impose administrative fines where it finds that this deviation is intentional or due to gross negligence. In addition, fines could be imposed where data is not provided within the legal deadline. The amount of these cannot exceed €30,000 per heavy-duty vehicle concerned.
See the proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/5bp (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)