Emission performance standards for new passenger cars
The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted a report drafted by Guido SACCONI (PES, IT) amending the Commission’s proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the Community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
The main amendments - made in first reading of the co-decision procedure - are as follows:
Purpose and objectives: according to MEPs, the regulation should establish CO2 emission performance requirements for new passenger cars in order to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market and to achieve the overall objective of reducing CO2 emissions in the EU, including in the transport sector. The Regulation should set a target, for the new car fleet, of an average 120 g CO2/km as from 1 January 2012. From 2012 the Regulation sets the average CO2 emissions for new passenger cars at 130 g CO2/km by means of improvement in vehicle motor technology. From 2020 the Regulation sets a target, for the new car fleet, of average emissions of no more than 95 g CO2/km as from 1 January 2020 by means of improvement in vehicle motor technology as measured in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and its implementing measures.
Scope: Members propose deleting, in the definition of the Regulation’s scope, the reference to mass not exceeding 2 610 kg because this would prevent very heavy vehicles from being exempt from it. Moreover, in order to encourage European automobile producers to invest in new technologies increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, Members consider it is necessary to avoid introducing specific advantages for new automobiles imported from outside the Community. Another amendment seeks to allow vehicles built specifically to load and accommodate wheelchairs inside the vehicle, which are not homologated as wheelchair accessible vehicles but that have full European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA) to be excluded from this legislation. Also excluded would be vehicles designed to fulfil specific social needs.
Objectives in terms of specific emissions: for the calendar year commencing 1 January 2020 and each subsequent calendar year, each manufacturer of passenger cars shall ensure that its average specific emissions of CO2 do not exceed its specific emissions target determined in accordance with Annex I as amended pursuant to Article 10(2a)(b). For ultra-low carbon vehicles, a new article stipulates that between 1 January 2012 and the year beginning 1 January 2016 for the purposes of determining compliance by individual manufacturers of passenger cars with the specific emissions target referred to in the Regulation, each ultra low carbon vehicle registered in the European Union shall contribute to the calculation of the manufacturer's average specific emissions of CO2 on a multiplier basis of: 2012-2013: 4 times; 2014: 3 times; 2015: 2 times. From 1 January 2016 this multiplier will cease to apply.
Specific emission target for alternative fuel vehicles: for the purpose of determining compliance by individual manufacturers of passenger cars with the specific emissions target referred to in Article 4, the CO2 emissions as stated in the certificate of conformity for each alternative fuel vehicle, as defined in Regulation (EC) No 715/2007, registered in the European Union shall be reduced in a linear function from 0 to 20%, with a maximum of 25 g CO2/km, if at least 30% of the filling stations in the Member State where the vehicle is registered provide alternative fuels for these vehicles that meet the sustainability criteria set out in Directive ... [the Renewable energy directive]. The reduction shall not be valid for vehicles with a mass weight exceeding 2000 kg, or if it is achieved through the use of alternative fuels that are not available for commercial use within the Community.
Monitoring and reporting of average emissions: for the month beginning 1 January 2012 and each subsequent month, each Member State shall record information for each new passenger car registered in its territory in accordance with Part A of Annex II. This information shall be made available to the manufacturers and their designated importers or representatives in each Member State. Member States shall make every effort to ensure that reporting bodies operate in a transparent and non-bureaucratic manner. Members consider that the verification of the Member States data by a certified auditor should ensure that Member States collect and monitor the CO2 figures from the Certificate of Conformity paper and that the car models are allocated to right manufacturers.
Excess emissions premium: the amounts of the excess emissions premium shall be considered as revenue for the budget of the European Union and must be used to increment research activities in support of the development of technological innovations for the reduction of vehicle CO2 emissions and the development of zero emission vehicles.
Publication of manufacturers’ performance: Members propose that the average weight of all new passenger cars should be published.
Special derogation for small volume independent manufacturers: an amendment defines the criteria which would allow the determination and evaluation of the individual objectives so as to offer greater legal certainty and improved planning certainty while encouraging reduced emissions. MEPs consider that if a manufacturer exceeds the specific emissions objective fixed in his application for a derogation, the withdrawal of this derogation (as proposed by the Commission) could constitute a disproportionate measure. Instead of this, they call for the same system as that which applies to large manufacturers to apply in this case. Lastly, a manufacturer may apply to the Commission to be allowed to meet an alternative target that is a 25% reduction on its average specific emissions in 2006, instead of its specific emissions target calculated in accordance with the Eco-innovations annex: the Regulation should offer incentives to increase the efficiency of auxiliaries / components even if their CO2 benefit is not reflected in the CO2 measurement according to Regulation 715/2007. Only technologies that lead to real-world CO2 reductions beyond any doubt should be considered as eco-innovations, their impact having to be certified by a competent technical service such as those used in EU type approval.
Evaluation and reports: Members suggest that the Commission should review the procedures for measuring CO2 emissions and the possibilities for including the CO2 emission test in the in-service conformity assessment without hindering the rapid introduction of new and less proven technologies (e.g. batteries, fuel cells) to lower CO2 emissions.
The European Commission should:
- make proposals by 2010, as appropriate, to ensure that the procedures for measuring CO2 emissions under Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and its implementing measures are adapted and subsequently reviewed on a regular basis;
- ensure that, by 2015, cars of all weights are covered by this Regulation;
- by 31 December 2014 table a proposal for a regulation setting the average emissions level referred to in Annex I, which may in any event not be higher than 95 g of CO2 , to be achieved by the new car fleet by 1 January 2020;
- by 2014, following an impact assessment, publish a report on the data availability of footprint, as an utility parameter for determining specific emissions targets and, if appropriate, amend Annex I in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.
Consumer information: from 1 January 2010, the information provided to consumers concerning the specific CO2 emissions of passenger cars shall be governed by Directive 1999/94/EC. From 1 January 2012 manufacturers seeking type-approval for M1 vehicles, as defined in Directive 2007/46/EC in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 715/2007, shall equip every vehicle with a fuel consumption monitor.