"This is the last chance saloon for the EU to present an effective law to reduce emissions from cars," said Greenpeace EU transport Campaigner Franziska Achterberg.
Germany and other manufacturing states have successfully bullied the French into emptying this legislation of all its meaning. Their shoddy deal means that the 130- gram target would be nothing more than wishful thinking. The average car sold in Europe in 2012 could emit more CO2 than is the case today."
Greenpeace has calculated that if the Council proposal were adopted in its present form, carmakers could actually increase their emissions in 2012 to more than 160 grams, while remaining inside the rules. In 2007, average CO2 emissions from new cars sold in the EU were at 158 grams per kilometre. In 2015, average emissions could still be as high as 139 grams per kilometre.
With such weak legislation on the horizon, it is no surprise that German carmaker Volkswagen now declares itself ready to meet the targets. The company is among those pushing the EU for €40 billion in cheap loans to build more fuel- efficient cars. But the Volkswagen group has seen its profits rise, despite plunging European sales.
"The Council proposal is a complete farce. You have legislation to cut emissions that will let them rise and you have car makers saying what a struggle it will be to meet targets that require no effort, while they're begging for handouts in order to keep on churning out gas-guzzlers," said Achterberg.
Greenpeace urges the EU to remove all loopholes, set penalties that encourage compliance, drop the idea of an unnecessary delay and set a stringent EU target for 2020.
