The European Parliament approved a proposal this Thursday to give car manufacturers in the European Union (EU) more years to reduce the pollutant emissions of new passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy vehicles, thus putting an end to the previously set deadline of 2025. The new car emissions standards were approved with 458 votes in favor, 101 against, and 14 abstentions.
The changes now made allow manufacturers to meet their obligations in a phased manner, between 2025, 2026, and 2027, calculating the average of their performance over the three-year period, rather than each year separately.
This way, the automotive sector will be able to balance any excess annual emissions by exceeding the target in the following year or years, thus gaining more time (two or three years) to meet these environmental goals.
The current rules set annual targets, covering five-year periods, to reduce the average CO2 emissions of the entire European vehicle fleet, with a 15% annual reduction target below 2021 levels expected to be applied from 2025 for the period 2025-2029.
It is worth noting that the automotive sector in the European Union employs about 13.8 million people, approximately 6.1% of the total workforce, and represents around 7% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Currently, the European automotive sector is facing strong pressure, driven by the transition to electric mobility, rising production costs, and increased competition from Chinese brands.
