EU gives European carmakers more time to comply with CO2 standards

The European Commission has decided to give more time to the automotive industry to meet CO2 standards for new cars and vans. Transport & Environment says the delay must be the final concession.

The European Commission has proposed an amendment to the regulation that sets CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans. It would add a flexibility measure within the targets for 2025-2027, the commission said.

According to the EU’s executive arm, manufacturers’ compliance with the CO2 targets for the three calendar years would be assessed over the entire period, averaging the performances, instead of annually.

The solution allows the companies to balance any excessive annual emissions by outperforming the target in the remaining years, the commission added.

European Commission says it would help the industry to invest in the clean transition while maintaining the 2025 target

It sees the additional flexibility as help to the industry to invest in the clean transition while maintaining the 2025 target and keeping the industry on track for the next round of emissions reductions.

The proposal was announced as part of the European Commission’s Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector, adopted on March 5.

According to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s highly innovative automotive industry is decarbonizing to contribute to the fight against climate change but also to maintain its competitive edge in the world markets.

“We grant more flexibility to this key sector, and at the same time we stay the course of our climate goals,” she stated.

T&E: European carmakers used unrepresentative 2024 sales data to argue for flexibilities

Transport & Environment pointed out that the commission has formally proposed legislation to give carmakers until 2027 to comply with their 2025 emissions reduction targets. The delay to EU car climate rules must be the final concession to European carmakers which used unrepresentative 2024 sales data to argue for flexibilities, the organization added.

It expressed the belief that the concession was a mistake, arguing that battery electric car sales in Europe increased by 28% over the first two months of the year as the industry prepared to comply with the existing 2025 target.

According to Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and e-mobility supply chains at T&E, the EV sales rebound shows that the existing EU target is working.

“Require carmakers to sell more electric cars and the buyers will come. This must be the last flexibility carmakers are given. Let’s allow the 2030 and 2035 targets to do their work and bring affordable EVs and cleantech investment into Europe,” she stressed.