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Climate Action
News article15 April 2019Directorate-General for Climate Action

Clean mobility: New CO2 emission standards for cars and vans adopted

The Council of Ministers today agreed on CO2 emission standards for new cars and vans in the EU for the period after 2020. In 2030, emissions from new cars will have to be 37.5% lower and emissions from new vans 31% lower, compared to 2021.

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The Council of Ministers today agreed on CO2 emission standards for new cars and vans in the EU for the period after 2020. In 2030, emissions from new cars will have to be 37.5% lower and emissions from new vans 31% lower, compared to 2021.

Today’s agreement confirms the European Parliament vote of 27 March and finalises the formal adoption of new rules which will contribute to decarbonising and modernising Europe’s mobility sector.

The new CO2 standards are a stepping stone towards a climate-neutral economy in line with the EU's commitments under the Paris Agreement and as part of the implementation of the Energy Union.

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: “The adoption of the legislation setting new CO2 emission standards for cars and vans is an important achievement. We are putting the transport sector on the right pathway towards clean mobility, helping EU industry to modernise and strengthen its competitive position in the global stage.”

  • New CO2 emission standards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (vans) in the EU for the period after 2020. In 2030, emissions from new cars will have to be 37.5% lower and emissions from new vans 31% lower, compared to 2021.
  • Technology-neutral incentive mechanism for zero- and low-emission vehicles to give the market a clear signal for investment in clean vehicles. The incentive covers both zero-emission vehicles, such as battery electric or fuel cell vehicles, and low-emission vehicles having tailpipe emissions of less than 50 g CO2 per km – these are mainly plug-in hybrid vehicles equipped with both a conventional and an electric engine.
  • A strengthened market surveillance system to ensure the representativeness of the official test procedure for determining the emissions with respect to real-world driving, and the extent to which the vehicles placed on the market conform to the reference vehicles tested at type approval.
  • Several elements aimed at supporting cost-effective implementation of the CO2 targets, such as rules on the use of eco-innovation technologies and derogations for small manufacturers.

Next steps

The endorsement by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers will be followed by the publication of the texts in the Official Journal of the Union, and the new legislation will enter into force 20 days after publication.

Details

Publication date
15 April 2019
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action