Experts in German parliament split over EU proposal on car emissions

Car and transport experts have discussed the European Commission’s proposal to tighten vehicle emission rules in the EU in a committee in the German parliament, giving very different assessments of the approach that is aimed reducing the CO₂ output of newly registered passenger cars and light vans after 2020, the German Federal Parliament says in a press release. Gregor Kolbe of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) said the European Commission’s proposal was not ambitious enough, arguing that an emissions reduction of 25 percent by 2025 and of 45 percent by 2030 is necessary to achieve meaningful improvements. Peter Gutzmer of car industry supplier Schaeffler AG said a “lopsided focus on pure e-mobility” threatens jobs all over Europe and synthetic fuels that are suitable for reducing carbon emissions should be considered more seriously in future mobility concepts. Economist Manuel Frondel of the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (RWI) said that the new rules would apply to newly registered cars only, and would therefore not bring down emissions across the board. He said that including the transport sector in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and increasing taxes on fuels would be more effective measures than introducing new production standards. Reinhard Kolke of the influential General German Automobile Club (ADAC) said the EU needs to set an absolute emissions limit rather than percentage points of mandatory reduction, and promote other measures to lower CO₂ output, such as training sessions on fuel-efficient driving.

Find the press release in German here.

For more information, read the dossier The energy transition and Germany’s transport sector and the article German environment ministry pushes for tougher EU car emission rules.