EU confirms stricter standards on CO2 emission for cars, vans

The EU is taking steps to reduce CO2 emissions of cars and vans. Under the revised rules, there will be stricter CO2 emission standards for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. A provisional agreement reached by the Presidency and Parliament representatives on 17th December 2018 was endorsed by member states today.

The new rules will ensure that from 2030 onwards new cars will emit on average 37.5 percent less CO2 and new vans will emit on average 31 percent less CO2 compared to 2021 levels. Between 2025 and 2029, both cars and vans will be required to emit 15 percent less CO2.

“Today’s agreement gives the go-ahead to decarbonise and modernise Europe’s road transport. It represents an integrated approach to the transition towards low emission mobility, and supports the long-term competitiveness of the sector, including by facilitating innovation in clean technologies, such as batteries and recharging infrastructure. It makes sure that cars will emit on average 37.5 percent less CO2 in 2030 compared to the current emission standard limits and is therefore an important step to achieve our climate goals. In addition, we are improving the test procedures with stricter rules to ensure a reliable representation of the real world emissions,” said Graţiela Leocadia Gavrilescu, Romanian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment.