Emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles. Recast

PURPOSE: to adopt stricter CO2 emission standards for cars and vans to make road transport cleaner.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 443/2009 and (EU) No 510/2011.

CONTENT: this Regulation establishes CO2 emissions performance requirements for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles in order to contribute to achieving the Union's target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to reach the EU wide 30% reduction target by 2030 compared to 2005 of the non ETS (Emissions Trading System) sector.

Emission reduction targets

The Regulation aims to ensure that from 2030 onwards, new cars and vans emit on average 37.5% and 31% less CO2 respectively compared to 2021 levels. Over the period 2025-2029, CO2 emissions from both cars and vans shall be required to emit 15% less CO2. These are objectives at the scale of the EU park. The effort to reduce CO2 emissions will be distributed among manufacturers on the basis of the average mass of their vehicle fleet.

These are EU wide fleet targets. The CO2 reduction effort will be distributed among manufacturers on the basis of the average mass of their vehicle fleet.

A dedicated incentive mechanism shall be introduced to facilitate a smooth transition towards zero-emission mobility. That mechanism should be designed so as to promote the deployment on the Union market of zero- and low-emission vehicles. Also, a specific transitional measure should be put in place to enable access to zero- and low-emission vehicles to consumers from Member States with low levels of market penetration of such vehicles.

From 1 January 2025, a zero- and low-emission vehicles' benchmark equal to a 15 % share of the respective fleets of new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles shall apply respectively. From 1 January 2030, the following zero- and low-emission vehicles' benchmarks shall apply, respectively: (a) a benchmark equal to a 35 % share of the fleet of new passenger cars; and (b) a benchmark equal to a 30 % share of the fleet of new light commercial vehicles.

Derogations for certain manufacturers

A manufacturer may apply for a derogation from the specific emissions target if he produces fewer than 10 000 new passenger cars or 22 000 new light commercial vehicles registered in the Union per calendar year and is not part of a group of related manufacturers.

The procedure for granting derogations from the 95 g CO2/km EU fleet-wide target to niche car manufacturers ensures that the emissions reduction effort required by those niche manufacturers is consistent with that of large-volume manufacturers with regard to that target. It is appropriate to continue to provide those niche manufacturers with the possibility of being granted a derogation also from the targets applicable from 2025, until 2028.

Deterring emissions fraud

The new rules aim to ensure the robustness and representativeness of the reported emission data:

- stricter rules have been agreed for the transition from the old NEDC test procedure to the more accurate WLTP test procedure as the basis for calculating the specific emission targets for manufacturers. particular consideration should be given to identifying methods, including the use of data from on-board fuel and/or energy consumption monitoring devices, for detecting strategies through which a vehicle's CO2 performance is artificially improved in the type-approval test procedure;

- the Commission shall no later than 2023 evaluate the possibility of developing a common Union methodology for the assessment and the consistent data reporting of the full life-cycle CO2 emissions of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles that are placed on the Union market. The Commission shall transmit to the European Parliament and to the Council that evaluation, including, where appropriate, proposals for follow-up measures, such as legislative proposals;

- more emphasis shall be placed on monitoring emissions under real driving conditions. The Commission shall monitor the real world representativeness of the CO2 emission values based on data from the fuel consumption meters installed in new cars and vans. In order to prevent an increase in the emissions gap, the Commission is to assess the feasibility of developing a mechanism for the adjustment of the manufacturers' specific targets as of 2030 and if appropriate submit a legislative proposal to this effect. The Commission must also as part of the review in 2023 assess the feasibility of developing real-world emission test procedures.

Socially fair transition

The effects of the transition of the automotive sector on in particular employment shall be addressed via a provision on a socially fair and just transition. The Commission is to consider the possibility of allocating revenue from the excess premiums to a dedicated fund or relevant programmes aimed at ensuring a just transition and if appropriate submit a legislative proposal by 2027.

Review and reporting

The Commission shall, in 2023, thoroughly review the effectiveness of this Regulation and submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council with the result of the review. In the report, the Commission shall consider, inter alia:

- the real-world representativeness of the CO2 emission and fuel or energy consumption values;

- the deployment on the Union market of zero- and low-emission vehicles;

- the roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure reported under Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;

- the potential contribution of the use of synthetic and advanced alternative fuels produced with renewable energy to emissions reductions.

The report shall, where appropriate, be accompanied by a proposal for amending this Regulation, in particular, the possible revision of the EU fleet-wide targets for 2030 and the introduction of binding emissions reduction targets for 2035 and 2040 onwards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 15.5.2019.

APPLICATION: from 1.1.2020.