CARS21 report urges Commission to lower CO2 emissions targets for passenger cars

On Monday 14 January the European Parliament adopted a contentious own-initiative report by MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (ALDE- DE) on the future of car industry, known as CARS21.

CARS21 stands for Competitive Automotive Regulation System for the 21st Century. For this initiative of the European Commission, a high-level group has been developing proposals since 2005. While the Chatzimarkakis report is not binding, MEPs will, later this year, have an important say on concrete measures for reducing CO2 from passenger vehicles, presented last December by EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

By adopting this report, Parliament has made clear that it is does not to share the Commission targets - 120 g/km by 2012 - with regards to the CO2 limits for passenger cars. Instead, it proposes to set a target of 125 g by 2015. Green MEPs were outraged by the watering down of the environmental targets for car manufactures, while Commissioner Verheugen, addressing the plenary that day, said that meeting environmental standards should not hamper the European automobile industry’s international competitiveness.

The report proposes a number of ways to reach the CO2 limits. It says that that binding CO2 targets have to be accompanied by an increase in Member States' funding for research and development for the automobile sector. CO2 reductions can also be achieved by economical driving techniques, better consumer awareness of new technologies and restructured public transport systems. The report further adds that cars should be permitted to emit more CO2, if these emissions result from mandatory safety measures. You can see the full text of the report here.