The European Commission on Tuesday officially proposed a change to the CO2 emission standards regulation to introduce “flexibility” for carmakers.
The intention is to allow manufacturers’ compliance with the CO2 targets for 2025, 2026 and 2027 to be assessed over the entire three-year period, “averaging their performance, rather than annually”. The three-year window, instead of a yearly target, seeks to avoid penalties for non-compliance, Kallanish notes.
Commissioners are now calling on co-legislators to reach an agreement on this amendment “without delay to ensure predictability and certainty for the automotive industry and investors”.
Campaign group T&E describes the concession as a “mistake”, noting carmakers were preparing for higher electric vehicle (EV) sales to comply with the existing 2025 target, with battery electric car sales rising 28% over the first two months of the year. “This must be the last flexibility carmakers are given. Let’s allow the 2030 and 2035 targets to do their work and bring affordable EVs and cleantech investment into Europe,” adds T&E senior director Julia Poliscanova.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) says the proposal is a “step in the right direction, aligning decarbonisation goals with real-world market and geopolitical challenges.”
“It offers much-needed breathing room for car and van makers, but this must be complemented by meaningful demand incentives and widespread charging infrastructure deployment,” the trade body adds.
It is unclear when the European Parliament and EU countries will hold a vote on the proposal. The Czech Republic has previously indicated it would push for a five-year compliance period.
