Reducing CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles
 Latest news - the legislation on CO2 from passenger cars is now officially published in the form of Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the Community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
Some key elements of the adopted text are as follows:
- Limit value curve: the fleet average to be achieved by all cars registered in the EU is 130 grams per kilometre (g/km). A so-called limit value curve implies that heavier cars are allowed higher emissions than lighter cars while preserving the overall fleet average.
- Phasing-in of requirements: in 2012, 65% of each manufacturer's newly registered cars must comply on average with the limit value curve set by the legislation. This will rise to 75% in 2013, 80% in 2014, and 100% from 2015 onwards.
- Lower penalty payments for small excess emissions until 2018: If the average CO2 emissions of a manufacturer's fleet exceed its limit value in any year from 2012, the manufacturer has to pay an excess emissions premium for each car registered. This premium amounts to €5 for the first g/km of exceedance, €15 for the second g/km, €25 for the third g/km, and €95 for each subsequent g/km. From 2019, already the first g/km of exceedance will cost €95.
- Long-term target: a target of 95g/km is specified for the year 2020. The modalties for reaching this target and the aspects of its implementation including the excess emissions premium will have to be defined in a review to be completed no later than the beginning of 2013.
- Eco-innovations: because the test procedure used for vehicle type approval is outdated, certain innovative technologies cannot demonstrate their CO2-reducing effects under the type approval test. As an interim procedure until the test procedure is reviewed by 2014, manufacturers can be granted a maximum of 7g/km of emission credits on average for their fleet if they equip vehicles with innovative technologies, based on indepently verified data.
The Commission has made this statement (pdf 11KB) when the Council and the European Parliament agreed on the Regulation.
Commission proposal on a Regulation to reduce the CO2 emissions from passenger cars
On 19 December 2007, the European Commission adopted a proposal
for legislation to reduce the average CO2 emissions of new passenger
cars which account for about 12% of the European Union's carbon
emissions. The proposed legislation is the cornerstone of the EU's
strategy to improve the fuel economy of cars and ensure that average
emissions from the new passenger car fleet in the Community do not
exceed 120 g CO2/km through an integrated approach.
The Commission's proposal will reduce the average emissions of
CO2 from new passenger cars in the EU from around 160 grams per
kilometre to 130 grams per kilometre in 2012. That will translate
into a 19% reduction of CO2 emissions and will place the EU among
the world leaders of fuel efficient cars. The proposal will also
benefit consumers through important fuel savings. It will further
improve energy security, promote eco-innovations and high-quality
jobs in the EU.
The draft legislation defines a limit value curve of permitted
emissions of CO2 for new vehicles according to the mass of the vehicle.
The curve is set in such a way that a fleet average for all new
cars of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre is achieved. From 2012, a
manufacturer will be required to ensure that the average emissions
of all new cars which it manufactures and which are registered in
the Community are below the average of the permitted emissions for
those cars as given by the curve. That curve is set in such a way
that heavier cars will have to improve more than lighter cars compared
to today, but that manufacturers will still be able to make cars
with emissions above the limit value curve provided these are balanced
by cars which are below the curve. Manufacturers' progress will
be monitored each year by the Member States on the basis of new
car registration data.
Under the legislation, several manufacturers will be able to group
together to form a pool which can act jointly in meeting the specific
emissions targets. In forming a pool, manufacturers must respect
the rules of competition law and the information that they exchange
should be limited to average specific emissions of CO2, their specific
emissions targets, and their total number of vehicles registered.
In addition, independent manufacturers who sell fewer than 10,000
vehicles per year and who cannot or do not wish to join a pool can
instead apply to the Commission for an individual target. Special
purpose vehicles, such as vehicles built to accommodate wheelchair
access, are excluded from the scope of the legislation.
The proposal will provide manufacturers with the necessary incentive
to reduce the CO2 emissions of their vehicles by imposing an excess
emissions premium if their average emission levels are above the
limit value curve. This premium will be based on the number of grams
per kilometre (g/km) that an average vehicle sold by the manufacturer
is above the curve, multiplied by the number of vehicles sold by
the manufacturer. A premium of €20 per g/km has been proposed in
the first year (2012), gradually rising to €35 in the second year
(2013), €60 in the third year (2014) and €95 as of 2015. Most manufacturers
are expected to meet the target set by the legislation, so significant
penalties should be avoided.
The proposal COM(2007)856 has been communicated to the Council and to the European Parliament as part of the co-decision legislative procedure. The full text of the proposal is available here. See also the press
release and a short
description of the proposal.
Commission proposal for a renewed Community strategy to reduce
CO2 from light vehicles (cars and vans)
On 7 February 2007, the Commission adopted the Communication
(COM(2007) 19) outlining
a comprehensive new strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
from new cars and vans sold in the European Union. The new strategy,
together with a revision of EU fuel quality standards proposed on
31 January 2007, further underline the Commission's determination
to ensure the EU meets its greenhouse gas emission targets under
the Kyoto Protocol and beyond. The strategy will enable the EU to
reach its long-established objective of limiting average CO2 emissions
from new cars to 120 grams per km by 2012 - a reduction of around
25% from current levels. By improving fuel efficiency, the revised
strategy will deliver substantial fuel savings for drivers. To encourage
the car industry to compete on the basis of fuel efficiency instead
of size and power, the Commission is also inviting manufacturers
to sign an EU code of good practice on car marketing and advertising.
As part of the revised strategy, the Directive
on CO2 labelling of cars will be revised.
Impact Assessment (pdf 319KB)
and Executive summary of the Impact assessment                       (pdf 50 - 260KB)
Press
release
Questions
and answers
Have
your say: Public consultation on the implementation of the renewed
strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light-commercial
vehicles.
Review of the strategy: the process (2005-2007)
Under the framework of the European
Climate Change Programme, the European Commission has carried
out a review of the Community strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from
light-duty vehicles (passenger cars and light-commercial vans),
with a view to reaching the EU objective of 120 g CO2/km by 2012.
As part of this process, the Commission services had set up a
stakeholder Working Group whose objective was to assist the Commission
services in preparing the review of strategy, and specifically provide
a stakeholder consultation forum giving assistance in the preparation
of the future strategy. Click here for more
information on the working group’s work.
Furthermore, the general public was consulted by means of an online
questionnaire designed to gather the anonymous views and opinions
of citizens on passenger road transport’s contributions to climate
change and possible future ways to reduce it. The objective was
to allow as many as possible to express their views, but since the
consultation was based on self-selection of those who wished to
respond to the questionnaire, the views expressed by respondents
cannot be regarded as representative of the views held by the EU
population. Click here for a report
on the results of this consultation of the general public (pdf 300KB).
In order to support the development of our strategy
concerning CO2 emissions from passenger transports, we have carried
out a number of supporting studies.
The Commission has launched a public
consultation on the implementation of the CO2 and cars strategy.
Click here for more information about the previous
strategy.
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