Cars and the environment: EP looks in the rearview mirror for 'future' policy for cars
The European Parliament today adopted a non-legislative report on future EU policy in the automobile sector, known as the CARS 21 strategy. Green MEPs condemned the report, which ignores current challenges and fails to promote the necessary adaptation by the car industry. Following the vote, German Green and vice-chair of the EP's Climate Committee Rebecca Harms said:
"The European Parliament is looking in the rearview for 'future' policy for the automobile sector. This report aimed to outline policy for the 21st Century but, by ignoring the reality of the challenges facing the car industry, roots it firmly in the past.
"It is clear as day that the future for the transport sector will be very much shaped by the environmental challenges we are facing, particularly climate change. To this end, EU policy must shaped to encourage car makers to make their product more efficient and environmentally-friendly as soon as possible and, in doing so, ensure that EU manufacturers steal a march on their competitors in defining the future direction of the sector.
"It is regrettable that the EP is choosing to ignore this reality and is instead seeking to postpone and water-down urgently-needed rules reducing CO2 emissions from cars. The report adopted today not only calls for the postponement of a proposed limit on car CO2 emissions from 2012 until 2015, it also seeks to water down the limit. By voting for a 125 g/km limit for car CO2 emissions to be achieved by a range of measures (the so-called 'integrated approach') and not just technical improvements in cars, MEPs have weakened an already weak position from the Parliament. In addition, by calling for these limits to be assigned on the basis of car weight, the report wants to give a license to heavy gas-guzzlers to continue polluting, rather than ensuring the necessary reduction in car weight to achieve greater efficiency. This approach flies in the face of the EP's attempts to position itself as a leader in tackling climate change and, by delaying reduction limits, would undermine EU commitments to emissions reductions."
Further information:
Chris Coakley
Press Officer
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasbourg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-485-241622
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
christopher.coakley@europarl.europa.eu
