EU Parliament approves flexibility in CO2 emission fines for cars

Brussels– With 458 votes in favor, 101 against, and 14 abstentions, the European Parliament voted today (May 8) in the Strasbourg plenary on the targeted amendment to the CO2 standards regulation for new cars and vans that aims to give manufacturers more flexibility in assessing compliance with emission targets, allowing them to avoid fines scheduled as early as 2025 for failure to meet the goals. The calculation will be based on an average of each manufacturer’s performance over three years (2025-2026-2027) instead of annually, introducing a principle of offsetting performance within the three years.

The Council approved the proposal yesterday without changing the Commission’s text. Only Sweden voted against it, while Belgium abstained. So, now all that is missing is final formal approval by the Council, and then the legislation will come into force.

 The League, which voted against it, is dissatisfied. Its group leader, Paolo Borchia, argues that “the European auto industry is collapsing, but in Brussels, they pretend nothing is happening. Rescheduling fines for carmakers over three years does not solve the problem: we need a radical change in approach. The Green Deal, as it is conceived, is killing a strategic sector, made up of companies, technology, and workers.”