Brussels, 30/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - Given the crisis, the instability of the energy sector and the urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions, the European commissioner for science and research, Janez Potocnik, challenges Europe's automotive industry to come up with solutions for urban transport as of 2010. “Can you, within the next year, provide workable solutions to the electrification of transport in Europe's cities?”, he asked the representatives of the motor industry present at the ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council) conference, held in Brussels on 26 January 2009. “Even if there were no economic crisis, from an environmental and energy point of view there is no time to lose in finding alternatives to fossil fuels in order to secure future energy demand and protect our environment and our climate”, the commissioner said. In parallel, the sector must achieve an ambitious goal, that of reducing CO2 emissions to 130g/km from new cars by 2012 (in 1995, CO2 emissions amounted on average to 186g/km), he said. In this context, he called on the motor industry to come up with European transport means that are “greener, smarter and safer” at the next TRA (Transport Research Arena) conference to be held in Brussels in June 2010. The European Economic Recovery Plan includes the “green car” initiative designed to fund breakthroughs in the use of renewable and non-polluting road transport energy sources. The €5 billion initiative is funded by the EU, the European Investment Bank (EIB), industry and the member states. (B.C./transl.jl)