EU to forge ahead with car-emissions cap [fr] [de]

The European Commission is set to impose mandatory curbs on CO2 emissions from cars on Wednesday, bringing an end to a two-week long dispute, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas tells EurActiv in an interview.

The proposed new rules, to be endorsed by the 27-member college of Commissioners on 7 February 2007, are expected to set emission limits at a compulsory level of 130g/km by 2012.

"We are going ahead with legislation and I am sure this will provide the necessary innovation incentive which will make Europe produce cleaner cars," Dimas told EurActiv. 

The proposal comes after it became clear that manufacturers would fail to meet a voluntary agreement to cut average emissions from new cars to 140 grammes of CO2 per kilometre by 2008-9. "We have calculated that cars will contribute to reduction of emissions for the achievement of our Kyoto target and we shall achieve this," Dimas said.

"The future is for cleaner cars, so we're going to give this incentive to European car manufacturers."

The new130g/km proposal is less than the 120g/km, that Dimas had initially called for. It brings an end to a dispute with Günter Verheugen, his colleague for enterprise and industry, who defended claims by German car manufacturers that mandatory emission controls would hurt the economy and result in job losses.

"The modalities of the legislation will be set up later on," Dimas said, adding that the proposal will include "a detailed impact assessment" on what the new rules will entail for jobs and industry.

"There are different options that you can follow," Dimas said, insisting that "this should be done in a way that is fair to all car manufacturers".

"What is important is that it will treat all car manufacturers in the European Union in an equal and fair way without creating competitiveness advantages or disadvantages." 

Dimas's comments aim to soothe fears expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that mandatory controls would hurt German car makers, who produce larger vehicles that consume more fuel and emit larger amounts of CO2.

The new car emissions rules will come just one week after proposals to cut carbon dioxide from the oil sector. New fuel-quality standards, presented on 31 January, aim to achieve, by 2020, a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions along the whole product life-cycle, as petrol and diesel is refined, transported and used (EurActiv 1/02/07).

EurActiv will publish the full interview with Dimas later this week.