. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/314 
10 February 2010  
 (10-0737 ) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN UNION
  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :   
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu Website:  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/
  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Light commercial 
vehicles. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposal for a 
Regulation of the European Parliament a nd of the Council setting emission performance 
standards for new light commercial vehicles as part of the Community's integrated approach 
to reduce CO2 emissions from light -duty vehicles; (31 pages; Engl ish, French, Spanish).     
6. Description of content:  The objective of this proposal is to reduce the average CO2 
emission level of newly register ed light commercial vehicles (vans) in the EU to 175 grams 
per kilometre (g/km). Manufacturers must ensure that their newly registered vans meet on average a target set by the limit value curve.  This requirement is phased-in and will cover 
75% of the fleet in 2014, 85% in 2015 and 100% as of 2016. The CO2 limit value is based on 
a limit value curve that allows higher CO2 emis sion levels for vehicles of a higher mass.  If 
manufacturer's average of CO2 emissions exceeds the limit value curve by a number of g/km, an excess emissions premium has to be paid. Th is premium is calculated by multiplying the 
exceedance in g/km by the number of cars sold and by a premium level. Until 2018 the 
premium level is phased in for the first 3 gr ams, starting with €5 fo r the first gram of 
exceedance, rising to €15 for the second gram , €25 for the third gram, and €120 per gram 
thereafter. As of 2019 the premium of €120 wi ll apply to every gram of exceedance. 
Manufacturers can form pools to  meet a joint target. Small- volume manufacturers with EU 
sales volumes below 22,000 vehicles per year  can apply for a derogation, resulting in a 
special target being set for them. Vehicles with  extremely low emissions (below 50g/km) will 
be given additional incentives wh ereby 1 low-emitting van will be  counted as 2.5 vehicles in G/TBT/N/EEC/314 
Page 2  
 
  2014, as 1.5 vehicles in 2015, and 1 vehicl e from 2016. Manufacturers can be granted a 
maximum of 7g/km of emission cr edits on average for their fleet if they equip vehicles with 
innovative technologies (eco-innovations) that ca nnot demonstrate their CO2-reducing effects 
under the type approval test. The Regulation also se ts a target of 135 g/km to be achieved by 
2020. Confirmation of the target with the upd ated impact assessme nt, the modalities for 
reaching this target, and the aspects of its implementation, including the excess emissions 
premium, will have to be defined in a review  to be completed no later than the beginning of 
2013.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of the environment and public health . To contribute to the reduction of greenhouse 
gas emissions in the EU (EU GHG  reduction target of 20% for 2020), and with its policy on 
acting against climate change.  
8. Relevant documents:   Impact Assessment SEC(2009) 1454 and its Executive Summary 
SEC(2009)1455 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=SEC:2009:1454:FIN:EN:PDF  
Commission Communication on the results of the review of the Community Strategy to 
reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles, COM(2007)19 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0019:FIN:EN:PDF  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }Not yet known. 
10. Final date for comments:  90 days from date of notification 
11. Text available from: National enquiry point [  ], or addre ss, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:    
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  + (32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu 
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website :  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/ 
  
and at 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0593:FIN:EN:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0593:FIN:ES:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0593:FIN:FR:PDF  
And can also be downloaded here: 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2010/tbt/eec/10_0520_00_e.pdf