Updated 03/10/2018 17:02:41 CET
BRUSSELS, Oct. 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The plenary of the European Parliament has advocated on Wednesday to set a goal of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from new passenger cars of 20% in 2025 and 40% by 2030, compared to the levels recorded in 2021.
The cut adopted in the plenary session – with 389 votes in favor, 239 against and 41 abstentions – is lower than that demanded by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament (45%), but ten points higher than the proposal launched by the European Commission, which advocates a 30% decrease.
Likewise, manufacturers that exceed the established percentages must pay a fine that the EU will invest in training for workers affected by the changes caused by the ecological transition.
On the other hand, according to the position defended by the MEPs, manufacturers should ensure that the least polluting vehicles – electric and those that emit less than 50 grams of CO2 – represent 20% of new cars and vans in 2025 and a 35% in 2030.
The European Parliament has urged the EU executive to propose, within two years, a mechanism to measure CO2 emissions in real driving conditions using a portable device similar to the one recently introduced to control nitrogen oxides (Nox) .
In the same way, it has demanded to Brussels legislation before the end of this year that allows consumers to know clearly the figures of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as other polluting gases.
NEGOTIATIONS, FROM OCTOBER 9
In any case, it is still the position of the European Parliament in the face of the negotiations that must be held with the Member States, who still must approve their red lines at the meeting of environment ministers that will take place next Tuesday, October 9 .
“Victory” Despite the pressures of the automobile lobby, the European Parliament has decided to bet clearly on the reduction of emissions from cars, 40% until 2030. More ambition = more health, more employment and more future. the European Commission! “, has celebrated in the social network Twitter the MEP of Equo Florent Marcellesi.
PP MEP Ayuso, however, was in favor of the goal of reducing emissions by 2030 was 35%, in line with the position “ambitious and reasonable” advocating the European People’s Party (EPP) in the face of vote. “Our goal is to achieve a reasonable balance between environmental goals, which we share, and maintaining the competitiveness of the Spanish automotive industry,” he explained.
The NGO Transport & Environment has stressed that the vote on Wednesday is “a crucial step towards cleaner air, less imported oil and more jobs.” However, he stressed that the agreed objective still “falls short” with respect to the need to “avoid catastrophic global warming” and to comply with EU commitments in the Paris Agreement.
On the other hand, the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) has expressed its “serious concerns” about the result of the vote in the European Parliament, especially for the objectives of “extremely aggressive” emissions reduction and the “imposition” of quotas of sales of vehicles with electric batteries. “The vote runs the risk of having a negative impact on employment throughout the automotive value chain,” warned ACEA general secretary Erik Jonnaert.