The European Union parliament has urged the European Commission not to set mandatory CO2 emissions targets until 2015 to allow manufacturers time to develop new models. A slightly tougher target than that currently proposed for 2012 should be achievable by then, the report said.
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The European Commission has published proposals for mandatory CO2 limits of an average of 130g/km per vehicle from 2012. A European Parliament report on a competitive automotive regulatory framework (CARS21) adopted yesterday, says that more research funding is needed to support the industry in meeting these targets.
The report also called for manufacturers to be allowed to increase CO2 emissions if they are a result of increased weight from additional safety systems.
According to a European Parliament press release, binding targets have to be accompanied by an increase in R&D funding to help preserve the European industry’s status as one of the most competitive industries in the world.
The European Parliament believes that a target of 125g/km average CO2 emissions should be achievable by 2015. According to Reuters, it also suggests that penalties for non-compliance should be tougher, if manufacturers are given more time.
The European automotive industry association, ACEA, has said the targets are still too stringent, but it welcomed the extra time, Reuters reported.
According to Automobilwoche, environmentalists believe the parliament has aligned itself with the automotive industry. A spokesperson for the Green Party said that the targets are relatively easy to meet with existing technology and that there is no reason to delay mandatory limits.
