EU car emissions deal undermines EU's lead on Climate Change, says Fiona Hall MEP

11.00.00am GMT Wed 3rd Dec 2008

Fiona Hall MEP is fighting for action on Climate Change.

Liberal Democrat MEP for the North East, Fiona Hall, has condemned the outcome of the EU car emission negotiations, which she says have resulted in watered down targets, a long phase-in period and plenty of loopholes for individual companies.

Commenting on the deal, Fiona said:

"This deal seems to have been dictated by the very industry it was supposed to be regulating.

"It is a serious set back given that the EU is supposed to be leading on tackling climate change. Instead of a reduction in car emission, this deal could translate into an actual increase in emissions until 2012.

"Tough carbon curbs would have been an incentive for carmakers to stop producing gas-guzzlers and cut driving costs for consumers. Consumers themselves are increasingly demanding economical and environmentally friendly cars.

"The EU is unlikely now to meet the target of a 40% cut in car emissions by 2020. Unfortunately, North East companies specialising in innovation such as fuel cell and electrical cars would have benefited from stricter targets and penalties."

On Monday, the deadlock over new EU emission standards for cars was broken with a compromise package that will see the target of delivering an 18% cut in emissions from new cars (to an average 130 grams CO2 per kilometre) phased in between 2012 and 2015.

The fines automakers would face for breaching the new standards have also been changed, with tough fines of €95 (£81) per gram per car sold imposed on manufacturers that miss targets by a considerable distance, but levies of between only €5 and €25 for those that miss the target by less than three grams.

A longer term target to cut emissions by about 40 per cent to 95g per km by 2020 was agreed in an attempt to appease environmentalists, but is very unrealistic to be achieved given the loopholes and weak penalties for non-compliance. Car-makers are unlikely to hit the 130g CO2/km target even after 2015.

The deal will still have to secure backing from the European Parliament but is expected to be voted through on December 17.