EU Council drafts CO2 emission rules for trucks
After the EU agreed CO2 emission reduction for cars and light commercial vehicles, the Council of Minsters from EU member states have published their targets for trucks. Carbon emission of the heavyweights would thus decrease 30% in 2030 and 15% by 2025 – a little less than EU Parliamentarians are aiming for. Yet, a sales quota is more than likely to come in 2025.
The decision of the member states’ ministers, collectively known as the Council, largely follows the proposal first made by the EU Commission. Moreover, it is a compromise in an attempt to “appease” Germany whereas others, even truck producing nations such as France or Sweden had pushed for tougher CO2 emission targets for trucks.
The same is true for the EU Parliament, that is arguing for a stronger decrease of 35% in 2030 and an interim target of 20% in 2025 reportedly. A final decision must be found together with the parliamentarians as well as the ministers in 2019.
In any case, a deal must be considered progress given that this will be the first binding regulation for CO2 reduction for heavy-duty vehicles in Europe.
Different from the car industry, the sector’s corporations such as Ikea, Nestlé or Unilever and logistics operators have been eager for clear rules as they expect supply to expand and costs for the electric vehicles to decrease.
Consequently, they support an EV sales quota as proposed by the EU Parliament and it looks indeed as if this will be introduced in 2025. Prior to that year, ministers now proposed supercredits, whereby sales of zero-emission trucks are counted double towards meeting the CO2 target until 2024. They agreed to replace it with a sales benchmark for zero and low-emission trucks from 2025, a measure the EU Parliament envisioned in their draft as well.
If manufacturers fail to meet their emission targets, fines will be imposed in a two-stage system: 4,000 euros per gram of CO2 between 2025 and 2029 and 6,800 euros per gram from 2030.
Negotiations with the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers will commence in 2019. Moreover, the EU Presidency said there was a potential to review the CO2 reduction targets again in 2022.
For passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, EU negotiators had finally agreed this week. CO2 emissions from new cars will have to decrease by 37.5% by 2030 and 31% for vans, which is slightly above the expected 35%. Yet, a real PEV sales quota, was not part of the deal.
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