EU states want to give car manufacturers more time for climate requirements

Brussels (dpa) – In light of impending CO2 penalties, EU countries want to give car manufacturers more time to meet climate targets. They are following a proposal from the EU Commission, which states that limits no longer need to be met annually, but companies will have three years to comply, the EU countries announced. A change also requires a majority in the European Parliament – a vote is scheduled for this Thursday. 

If the change occurs, German car manufacturers like VW, Mercedes, BMW, and others could exceed the targets this year without being immediately penalized. To completely avoid penalties, they would then need to significantly exceed the EU rules in the following years.

Penalties Loom

The background for the looming penalties for the already struggling industry is the so-called fleet limits, which allow an average CO2 emission per car. These legal requirements have tightened since the beginning of the year. 

On average, the limit for all vehicles registered in the EU in a year must not be exceeded. Manufacturers must pay a penalty for excessive CO2 emissions – 95 euros per gram per kilometer. Because, among other reasons, the sales of electric cars have not developed as well as previously predicted, car manufacturers could significantly exceed the limits. (May 7)