25 February 2014

On 25 February, MEPs approved legislation on limiting CO2 emissions in passenger cars. The agreement allows for a phase-in of the 95 g/km mandatory target, under which 95% of new cars will have to comply by 2020 and 100% by 2021. Giving greater weighting for cleaner cars within a manufacturer’s fleet, known as ‘super-credits’, will be allowed from 2020 to 2022, but capped at 7.5g/km over that period. 

“It is encouraging to see that MEPs have voted for an achievable target to decrease vehicle emissions. As a result, there will be direct benefits for European consumers in better air quality and more efficient vehicles,” said Jacob Bangsgaard, FIA Region I Director General. He continued, “To raise consumer awareness and understanding of these important changes we would now urge for improved labelling of vehicles’ CO2 emissions.”

With the environmental benefits promised by this legislation, FIA Region I encourages the Commission to work to improve public awareness on CO2 emissions of vehicles in real world use and informing consumers of the CO2 consumption they can expect when buying a new car. One method by which this can be achieved is through a revision of the Directive on the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions from 1999. Environmental rating labels are already used on many home electronics and are already familiar to consumers. It would be helpful to motorists to develop similar readability and simplicity for car labelling throughout Europe.

Once the MEPs have approved the legislation, it will then be presented for approval to the Council of Ministers in March. Then, car manufacturers will have targets to work towards in their development for new vehicles. 

Notes to the editors: 

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Region I office 
FIA Region I represents 112 Touring and Motoring Clubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from its Brussels office, which total more than 38 million members. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind, our work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. 

Contact 

Andrea Campbell
Communications Manager, FIA Region I
acampbell@fia.com 
+32 2 282 0813+32 2 282 0813