The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Miriam DALLI (S&D, MT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles as part of the Union's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles and amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 (recast).
The committee recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure, taking into account the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
Objective: the proposed Regulation seeks to establish emissions performance requirements for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles in order to achieve the Union’s climate targets and to comply with its climate commitments at international level, in a manner which is consistent with the proper functioning of the internal market.
EU fleet-wide targets:
- From 1 January 2025: an EU fleet-wide target equal to a 20 % reduction of the average of the specific emissions targets in 2021 shall apply from 1 January 2025 to the new passenger car fleet and to the new light commercial vehicles fleet. A benchmark equal to a 20 % market share of the sales of new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in 2025, shall apply to the share of zero- and low-emission vehicles.
- From 1 January 2030: an EU fleet-wide target equal to a 45 % reduction (compared to 30% as proposed by the Commission) of the average of the specific emissions targets in 2021 shall apply to the new passenger car fleet and the new light commercial vehicles fleet. A benchmark equal to a 40 % market share of the sales of new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in 2030, shall apply to the share of zero- and low-emission vehicles.
The proposed Regulation shall apply to alternatively fuelled vehicles with a maximum authorised mass above 3 500 kg but not exceeding 4 250 kg, provided that the mass in excess of 3 500 kg is exclusively due to the excess of mass of the propulsion system in comparison with the propulsion system of a vehicle of the same dimensions equipped with a conventional internal combustion engine with positive ignition or compression ignition.
Realistic fuel consumption values: consumers require realistic fuel consumption values in order to make well-informed purchasing decisions. In turn, such information will help renew consumer confidence. However, the report noted that there is an increasing gap between official type approval figures and real-world CO2 emissions for new passenger vehicles. There is concern that this gap significantly reduces the effectiveness of the current CO2 regulations and requires immediate attention for the post 2020 regulations. Although, in comparison with the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the introduction of the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP test procedure) can be expected to reduce the gap between reported CO2 emission values and actual emissions from vehicles, such gap will nonetheless persist. It is, therefore, essential to continue the efforts to develop and establish tests to be performed both in the laboratory and elsewhere which reflect reality as completely as possible by measuring actual energy consumption and emissions under real driving conditions. To this end, the Commission shall include such tests in the regulatory framework as soon as they have been developed.
Until the real-world CO2 emissions test becomes applicable, compliance with this Regulation shall be measured on the basis of data from fuel consumption meters and subject to a limit set for each manufacturer in 2021 as a percentage difference, that is not to be exceeded, between that data and the manufacturer’s specific CO2 emissions that is measured for the purpose of type approval certification procedures initiated from 2021 onwards.
Accuracy standards: where appropriate accuracy standards for on-board fuel consumption measurement equipment are not available, the Commission shall mandate work to agree the technical standards and introduce them into Union law no later than 1 January 2020.
Premiums: the report noted that manufacturers whose average CO2 emissions exceed these targets shall pay a premium to the EU budget, to be used, inter alia, for the re-skilling and redeployment of workers affected by changes in the automotive sector.
Labelling: by 31 December 2019, the Commission shall a relevant legislative proposal in order to provide consumers with accurate, robust and comparable information on the fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and air pollutant emissions of new passenger cars placed on the market. The Commission shall also evaluate the options for introducing a fuel economy and CO2 emissions label for new light commercial vehicles, and, where appropriate, submit a relevant legislative proposal to that end.
Additional reduction targets: the Commission shall submit a legislative proposal to the European Parliament and the Council in order to set additional emissions reduction targets for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles from 1 January 2031 with a view to maintaining at least the emissions reduction trajectory achieved in the period up to 2030.
Reporting and delegated acts: from 1 January 2025 onwards manufacturers shall report to the Commission, based on a harmonised Union methodology, the lifecycle CO2 emissions of all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles they put on the market as from that date. For that purpose, the Commission shall adopt, no later than 31 December 2022, delegated acts in order to supplement this Regulation by specifying detailed rules on the procedures for reporting the full lifecycle CO2 emissions of all fuel types and vehicle powertrains registered on the Union market.
No later than 31 December 2026, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council with an analysis of the overall life-cycle emissions from new light duty vehicles in the Union, including an analysis of options for possible regulatory measures, in order to better direct future policy efforts in emissions cuts in the sector. That analysis shall be made publicly available.