EU: Civil society asks for car pollution control

Ministers will be discussing the detailed provisions of the EU?s first-ever CO2 emissions standard for cars. Until now, discussions have been largely limited to bilateral talks between France and Germany, Europe?s major carmaking nations, aimed at weakening requirements. Greenpeace has handed in a petition signed by 50 000 people to the Slovenian Presidency, sharply criticising these dealings which exclude 25 EU countries from negotiations.

Despite the deepening climate crisis, EU policy on car CO2 emissions has been marked by many delays and the weakening of agreed targets. In December 1994, the Environment Council spoke out in favour of a target of 120g CO2/km, to be reached by 2005. In June 1996, ministers postponed the target to ?in no case beyond 2010?, and since the 1998 voluntary agreement with European carmakers, the target date has been set as 2012. The Environment Council last reconfirmed its support for the 120g target to be reached by 2012 in June 2007. Yet today, we are again witnessing a discussion on delaying the target date.

Greenpeace urges ministers to

• Uphold the last-agreed target date of 2012, and not allow any further delay nor phase-in of any kind;
• Set a legally binding CO2 reduction target of 80 g CO2/km for 2020 in this regulation, and tighten intermediate targets;
• Reject the Commission?s proposal to determine CO2 limits on the basis of vehicle weight, and adopt the alternative parameter of the car?s "footprint";
• Include stringent financial sanctions of 150 euros per gram per car sold, to ensure that all carmakers comply with the new standard.

More info
www.greenpeace.org