The European Parliament would trade high CO₂ figures for safety

The European Parliament has approved a report that supports automakers' demands: the automakers can produce new models that emit more CO₂ than the proposed average, as long as the additional emissions are direct consequence of safety measures. The report also asks the European Commission to develop legislation that develops the concept.

The measure was justified under manufacturers' claims that the new CO₂ limits could hamper jobs in Europe. Despite all the figures that have been bandied about, the report includes no specific CO₂ maximum production levels until 2015, when a target of 125 g/km would be feasible. With this new limit, the Parliament agrees with automakers that have claimed that it was difficult to attain, such an endeavor would need 5 to 7 years for development. The latest European proposal arrived from the European Commission asking last December to lower the current 160 g/km to 130 g/km by 2012.

This report also asks European countries to use public funding for R+D in the automotive sector to improve emissions and it also mentions Asia. While it asks that the EU and China should work together, this work should be aimed to generate "equal options that avoid unlawful competition (i. e. copying)". Speaking about South Korea, the report demands the EU to convince Koreans to lower their import taxes to make European cars more attractive, in order to pursue a free-trade agreement.

Finally, there was something else about EVs. German Christian-Democrat Jorgo Chatzimarkakis said that "Europe is five to ten years behind battery research for cars," which he finds is a good way to reduce CO₂ emissions.

[Source: Europa Press via Econoticias]