On Thursday 11 January, members of the European Parliament’s Committees on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) discussed the draft report on the ‘Count Emissions EU’ regulation. It includes a common methodological approach enabling companies to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions (see EUROPE 13314/9). MEPs would like to clarify certain aspects of the text and take full life-cycle analysis into account.
“This piece of legislation will cement the single method for calculating CO2 emissions”, explained the co-rapporteur, Barbara Thaler (EPP, Austrian). However, she would like to broaden the scope, or risk “missing a big chance”. “If we do not factor in the production or the recycling of a vehicle, vessel or train into the methodology, I think we urge people to buy the cheapest vehicle they can find on the market and they will not find it in Europe”, she argued, adding “and one step further down the chain, producers are also encouraged to buy the cheapest available components and materials in order to be or try to be competitive”.
She fears that the initially envisaged scope will be a further boost to Chinese and American companies. “The missing link is that we do not factor in CO2 emissions related to production [...]. Without this element, the chain is broken”, she said.
Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Dutch), who spoke on behalf of himself and his colleague from the same group, the German Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, and Silvia Modig (The Left, Finnish) agreed with Ms Thaler’s argument.
Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romanian) felt that the link between this text and the one on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) needed to be clarified. He also wants to clarify data harmonisation.
“We need to provide flexibility when using a combination of both primary and secondary data in cases where companies are using both their own fleet and subcontractors”, stressed Christophe Clergeau (S&D, French), speaking on behalf of his colleagues from this group, Rovana Plumb from Romania and Tiemo Wölken from Germany.
Finally, MEPs addressed the issue of access to ISO standards. Ms Modig believes that the Commission should provide free access to all operators. The institution’s representative replied that this standard was well recognised by stakeholders, and represented the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. He explained that access to this standard was complicated because it was subject to copyright. The Commission cannot make it available to users, but will be able to provide advice to industry.
For its part, the Council of the EU adopted its negotiating position in December (see EUROPE 13307/11). (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)