Page 36 - European Energy Innovation magazine - autumn 2022 edition

Autumn 2022 European Energy Innovation
36 TRANSPORT DECARBONISATION

CO emissions of light-duty
2
vehicles: no time to waste

By Karima Delli (pictured), MEP

The representatives of the European Parliament and the Czech presidency of the Council of the
EU will bear a huge responsibility over the coming months when it comes to phasing out internal
combustion engine vehicles.

he upcoming weeks and phase out internal combustion engine the people) and the European
months will be of massive vehicles as soon as possible. Most Commission (to represent the EU’s
importance for the EU of the car manufacturers are ready interests). Those meetings aim
“Tcitizens and the planet. for such a shift. Some important at getting an agreement between
While the both the European players have indeed planned to both co-legislators, the European
Parliament and the Council of the EU stop commercialising new internal Parliament and the Council of the EU
have agreed on their initial position combustion engine vehicles by 2030, (like in a classic bicameral system).
on the main features of the ‘Fit for or 2035 at the latest. This agreement is supposed to
55’ package [the climate package], become the fi nal binding text.
the 2022 second semester will be Given the fact that the average
absolutely decisive to fi ght climate car life-expectancy is about 15 After both co-legislators have agreed
change. years, 2035 must be the absolute on a negotiating position in June this
deadline for such an end. This is year, those trialogues are supposed
Road transport has a key role to why the Green/EFA group in the to start.
play in this regard. The last offi cial European Parliament has been very
fi gures provided by the European signifi cantly active on this fi le. And What concrete outcomes should
Environment Agency are non- as rapporteur of the TRAN opinion we expect?
equivoque: transport is responsible (the ‘environment’ committee of the It is not unusual that the EP’s and the
for about 25% of the overall CO European Parliament leads the fi le), Council’s positions are very different.
2
emissions in the EU, and it is the I have been intensively dedicated for The interinstitutional talks could then
only sector where emissions have that purpose. become quite tough and tricky, with
increased since 1990 (around 30%). very ‘EU way compromises’.
And 70% of CO emissions of the Where do we stand right now?
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transport sector comes from road Although there are some signifi cant
transport. After a long marathon, both the differences here, the overall goal and
European Parliament and the Council the fi nal objectives the EP and the
Given those fi gures, there is an of the European Union (the Member Council have agreed on are quite
urgent need to undertake concrete States) are ready to enter the fi nal similar. The main point is indeed to stop
measures in this sector to comply stage of the negotiations. The EU selling new internal combustion engine
with our climate objectives, carbon institutional system requires the vehicles by 2035. Everyone agrees on
neutrality by 2050. This is why Member States and the Members of that fact, which is pretty good news.
the European Commission, in the the European Parliament to defi ne
framework of the climate package, a ‘negotiating position’ on their The mid-term targets are not the
proposed to revise the regulation on own side, before starting the so- same in both negotiating positions, as
CO emissions of light-duty vehicles called ‘trialogues’ (interinstitutional some technical mechanisms differ.
2
last year, negotiations).
The Council also aims at opening the
As chairwoman of the ‘transport and The ‘trialogues’ put together the doors for a new revision of targets
tourism’ committee of the European current presidency of the Council in the future, which, for me, is quite
Parliament, and as Green Member of of the EU (to represent the Member unacceptable. This is then something
the European Parliament, my stance States), the representatives of the we will try to overturn in the fi nal and
has always been very clear: we must European Parliament (to represent decisive talks.

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