- CO2 and cars:
While ministers from all member states, except Poland, backed the broad lines of the Commission's strategy, many voiced concern regarding the impact that it would have on employment and the competitiveness of the EU's automobile sector.
Spain even suggested that the CO2 cap should be applied not only to European manufacturers but also to all vehicle manufacturers seeking to sell cars in the EU, regardless of their nationality. This would avoid placing European carmakers at a disadvantage with their competitors.
- Aviation and CO2:
The Commission's plans to integrate aviation into the EU's CO2 emissions cap-and-trade system also received broad support from member states, but a majority of countries insisted that all routes – intra-EU and international – be covered by the scheme as of the same date.
This would effectively force foreign airlines to comply with EU aviation emissions rules. But US carriers are adamant that this would be illegal and that the EU must wait for a global agreement to be reached in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
