On Tuesday 21 November, MEPs adopted the report by Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Dutch) on new CO2 emission standards for new heavy commercial vehicles, with 45 votes in favour, 152 against and 30 abstentions.
This text revises the 2019 regulation and extends its scope to include city buses, coaches, trailers and other types of lorries in order to meet the EU’s objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and reduce demand for imported fossil fuels.
The European Parliament is proposing to set CO2 emission reduction targets for medium and heavy-duty trucks: 45% for the period 2030-2034, 65% for 2035-2039 – whereas MEPs on the Environment Committee had agreed on 70% (see EUROPE 13278/7) – and 90% from 2040 onwards.
The S&D group expressed its dissatisfaction in a statement issued after the vote, criticising the right wing, led by the EPP, for weakening ambitions for the 2035 target. However, Christel Schaldemose (Danish), the S&D Group’s shadow rapporteur, said that the revision sends a clear message to the European truck industry.
In addition, a controversial amendment to the EPP on synthetic fuels, Amendment 87, has been introduced, which recognises these fuels as CO2-neutral. Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg (Greens/EFA, German) sees this as “an absurd concession to the fuel and oil lobbies”. For the European electric mobility association AVERE, this decision risks both compromising Europe’s ambition to become a leader in zero-emission vehicle technologies and creating uncertainty for manufacturers. However, the association welcomes the exclusion of the carbon correction factor.
Finally, the Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 13121/1) to authorise the registration of new zero-emission urban buses from 2030 and the temporary exemption (until 2035) for urban buses fuelled by biomethane under strict conditions have been approved.
For the rapporteur, Bas Eickhout, the aim was to support the Commission’s proposal “by broadening the scope and adapting a number of targets and benchmarks to bring us into line with reality, because the transition is happening faster than expected”, as reported in a press release from the European Parliament. The text also marks “an important step in our efforts to combat climate change”, according to the rapporteur.
Parliament is now ready to open negotiations with the Member States.
Discussions between the European Parliament and the EU Council will focus mainly on urban buses and the deadlines set for 2030 and 2035. The EU Council (see EUROPE B13272B4) reduced the 2030 target for new urban buses to 85% zero-emission vehicles and postponed the 100% target to 2035, with a possible extension. Discussions will also include differences over the definition of zero-emission vehicles and the extension of the scope of application. See the adopted text: https://aeur.eu/f/9nu (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)