PURPOSE: to reduce by 2020 the CO2 emissions from new passenger cars.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) n° 333/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 to define the modalities for reaching the 2020 target to reduce CO2 emissions from new passenger cars
CONTENT: this Regulation amends Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 in order to define the modalities for reaching the 2020 target to reduce CO2 emissions from new passenger cars. High fossil fuel prices have a negative impact on economic recovery and on energy security and affordability in the Union. Increasing, therefore, the efficiency and sustainability of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, thus reducing the dependency on oil, is a priority.
The main points of the Regulation are as follows:
· 2020 objectives: the Regulation sets out the conditions under which vehicle manufacturing must take place in order to reach the 2020 objectives for CO2 (95 g de CO2/km) for new passenger cars.
· Each manufacturer must reach this objective in a progressive way from 80 % of new cars sold in 2014 going to 95% in 2020 and reaching 100% from the end of 2020.
· From 1 January 2012, manufacturers responsible for less than 1 000 new passenger cars registered in the Union in the previous calendar year are excluded from the scope of specific emission targets.
· Super-credits: the Regulation also provides for the use of "super-credits" from 2020 to 2022: this means incentives for car manufacturers to develop new technologies and manufacture cars with low emission levels (less than 50g CO2/km), as these cars would count more towards meeting the fleet average than normal cars. The limit for the use of super-credits is set at 7.5g of CO2/km for the three years 2020-2022.
· Innovative technologies: upon application by a supplier or a manufacturer, CO2 savings achieved through the use of innovative technologies or a combination of innovative technologies shall be considered. The total contribution of those technologies to reducing the specific emissions target of a manufacturer may be up to 7 g CO2/km.
· Such technologies shall be taken into consideration only if the methodology used to assess them is capable of producing verifiable, repeatable and comparable results. A supplier or a manufacturer who applies for a measure to be approved as an innovative technology shall submit a report, including a verification report undertaken by an independent and certified body, to the Commission.
· Test procedure: in a recital, it is stressed that a new, more realistic and reliable test procedure should be agreed as soon as feasible. In order to ensure that specific CO2 emissions quoted for new passenger cars are brought more closely into line with the emissions actually generated during normal conditions of use, the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), in the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, should be applied at the earliest opportunity.
· Review: by 31 December 2015, the Commission shall review the Regulation, in order to establish the CO2 emissions targets for new passenger cars for the period beyond 2020. The review will examine the specific emissions targets and the modalities set out, as well as the other aspects of the Regulation, including whether a utility parameter is still needed and whether mass or footprint is the more sustainable utility parameter.
· The Commission shall submit a report on the result of that review. That report should include proposals for amending Regulation (EC) No 443/2009, including the possible setting of a realistic and achievable target for 2025, based on a comprehensive impact assessment that will consider the continued competitiveness of the car industry and its dependent industries.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 08/04/2014.
DELEGATED ACTS: the Commission may adopt delegated acts, particularly in order to amend Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 as regards data requirements and data parameters and supplement the rules on the interpretation of the eligibility criteria for derogations from the specific emissions targets. The power to adopt delegated acts will be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from 8 April 2014. The European Parliament or Council may raise objections to a delegated act within two months from the date of notification (which may be extended by two months). If Parliament or Council raise objections, the delegated act will not enter into force.