 The German auto industry has lobbied hard against the plans for tougher emissions limits, arguing in a recent open letter that production of medium-and high-powered cars would shrink and jobs moved elsewhere. Road transport pollution has risen 30 percent since 1990 and now makes up more than a quarter of the EU's carbon dioxide emissions, with half of that from passenger cars. |
However, their engines would be required to emit 130 grammes on average with another 10 grammes coming due to improvements to tyres, air conditioning and making more use of biofuels.
With car makers failing to meet existing voluntary targets, the commission recognized that binding limits were needed although Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen were divided over how much of a reduction would have to come from car makers.
Dimas sought a tough binding limit of 120 grammes for car makers while Verheugen wanted measures to be shared with tyre and fuel makers, easing the burden of the automobile industry.
The proposal cannot be officially put on the table until it is endorsed by by commissioners during a meeting on Wednesday.
Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger confirmed that a consensus was emerging, but downplayed divisions within the European Union's executive arm.
"The target is and remains 120 grammes per kilometre by 2012," he told journalists. "The bulk of the effort will have to come from motor vehicle technology, the rest of the effort will have to come from other sources."
Officials close to Dimas said that they were "very satisfied" with the compromise because "the bulk of the effort will be with car makers".
European, Japanese and Korean automakers have failed to meet a voluntary target to cut average emissions for new cars sold in Europe to 25 percent of 1995 levels.
The commission says that they have only reached 12.4 percent, which the EU executive describes as "not satisfactory".
The ACEA automobile association says that if the targets have not been met it is not car makers' fault, blaming instead "strong customer demand for larger and safer vehicles and disappointing consumer acceptance of extremely fuel-efficient cars".
The German auto industry has lobbied hard against the plans for tougher emissions limits, arguing in a recent open letter that production of medium-and high-powered cars would shrink and jobs moved elsewhere.
Road transport pollution has risen 30 percent since 1990 and now makes up more than a quarter of the EU's carbon dioxide emissions, with half of that from passenger cars.
"That throws into question hard-won progress in other sectors on respecting the EU's targets under the Kyoto Protocol," said the head of commission's policy on climate change, Jos Delbeke.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU is required to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by eight percent from 1990 levels by 2012.
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London (AFP) Jan 30, 2007
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