MEPs hail ‘defeat’ of car industry lobby on CO2

"This was a big surprise," German Green group member Rebecca Harms said after the Environment Committee vote. "There was a big fight with industry and governments, and the Germans and French were adding a lot of pressure," she noted, adding that the vote was “a vote for European consumers: with oil prices so high, more fuel efficient cars will reduce the fuel cost burden for people who are dependent on cars.” 

Neither the Socialist Group nor the EPP-ED group, who had garnered the compromise deal, issued a statement after the vote. 

British Liberal MEP and ALDE Environment Spokesperson Chris Davies, who had formerly been in charge of drafting Parliament’s report on the overall cars & CO2 strategy, hailed the vote as "a good day for democracy", explaining: "The lobby from the car industry lost. MEPs today stood up for tougher measures to combat global warming and sent a strong message to corporate lobbyists to back off.” While regretting that the package agreed yesterday was “weaker than the Parliament proposed last year”, he said it was “very much better than might have been expected given the amount of arm twisting and political threats that has taken place.” 

“Climate scientists are telling us we need to take urgent action to prevent the most serious consequences of climate change. Tackling the rising CO2 emissions from cars is essential and this means introducing emissions limits sooner rather than later…Without effective penalties for non-compliance, these limits would be meaningless…We hope that German Chancellor Merkel will be forced to rethink her pollution-friendly proposals." 

The GUE-NGL Leftist group in Parliament also welcomed the vote as “an historic moment” in which “climate triumphs over car industry”. Swedish MEP and shadow rapporteur Jens Holm said that “up until yesterday evening, things looked very bleak” but welcomed the “sudden change in position” of a number of Socialist MEPs. 

But car manufacturers were disappointed that MEPs had “missed the opportunity to help shape a realistic framework for the car industry”, saying the vote threatened the future of car production in Europe. “The Environment Committee has given a wrong signal today. This is bad news for Europe, especially with the overall economic circumstances deteriorating already,” lamented Ivan Hodac, secretary general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). He nevertheless expressed hope that the Parliament and member states would take a more favourable stance towards industry and succeed in striking “a balance between environmental protection and economic growth and employment, all of which are of equal interest to the European society.” 

Green NGOs hailed the vote, which Greenpeace campaigner Franziska Achterberg said brings the EU one step nearer to its “first effective EU law to limit our impact on the climate”. 

According to Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth, the vote reflects the will of European citizens, who, according, “overwhelmingly want tough action to make new cars more fuel-efficient and cut emissions”. 

“The car industry must now focus its efforts on driving down emissions rather than self-interested lobbying," he added. 

Transport & Environment Director Jos Dings further commented that the tough short-term target “is achievable with currently available technology” and welcomed the long-term target, which he hopes will “send the message to the car industry that it needs to change its ways and put all its efforts into developing the next generation of fuel efficient cars."