European Parliament backs watered-down limits on van emissions

Feb 15, 2011, 16:20 GMT

Strasbourg, France - The European Parliament on Tuesday gave the green light to European Union limits on carbon-dioxide emissions from vans, as environmental groups accused the legislature of bowing to industry pressure.

The EU aims to reduce CO2 emission levels. Road transport are a major and fast-growing source of CO2, but the car industry has lobbied ferociously against legally-binding limits.

Members of the parliament (MEPs) approved a draft law which would force all van makers to ensure that their vehicles emit less than 175 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g/km) by 2017, and reduce to 147 g/km by 2020. It is the first time the EU has imposed such limits.

British conservative MEP Martin Callanan, who headed the study of the draft, called the agreement 'a good deal for the environment, for van manufacturers, and for van users across the EU.'

But environmental groups derided the legislation as weak and late, after MEPs and EU member states together rejected a call from the European Commission, the EU's executive, to set the 2020 target much lower, at 135 g/km.

'Because CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency are directly linked, weaker emissions standards mean vans will use more fuel. Fuel is a major cost to small businesses who depend on vans to run their operations,' warned green group Transport and Environment.

The legislation is due to kick in in 2014, but the most polluting vans will be exempt from the rules until 2017.

Callanan admitted that the compromise had been a 'difficult balancing act' between manufacturers and environmentalists. But he defended the decision to weaken the commission proposal.

'Our approach should be one of a carrot rather than stick; we should create incentives for manufacturers to reduce emissions, rather than hammer them with fines for failing to reach unrealistic and arbitrary targets,' he said.