Commission Recommendation

of 13 April 2000

on the reduction of CO2 emissions from passenger cars

(JAMA)

(notified under document number C(2000) 803)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/304/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 211, second indent, thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Commission has proposed a Community strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and improve fuel economy(1).

(2) The Council (environment), in its conclusions of 25 June 1996, invited the Commission to undertake the necessary steps to implement the main elements of this strategy.

(3) An environmental agreement with the automobile industry is one of the main elements of the Community strategy. Both the Commission and the Council believe that such agreement should commit the automobile industry to making a major contribution to the achievement of the overall objective of the strategy for attaining a CO2 emission target of 120 g/km CO2 on average for newly-registered passenger cars by 2005, and at the latest 2010.

(4) The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), with the support of its member companies manufacturing passenger cars, has adopted a commitment on CO2 emission reductions from new passenger cars (hereinafter referred to as "the commitment").

(5) The Commission is satisfied with the undertakings given by JAMA in the commitment.

(6) The Commission acknowledges the assumptions underlying the commitment and will review the situation together with JAMA and agree to any necessary adjustments to the commitment in good faith, in the event that the assumptions are not borne out.

(7) The commitment is based on the requirements of Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC(2), although JAMA expects that the market average fuel quality will be better than these legislative requirements.

(8) The Commission and JAMA agree to jointly monitor the undertakings in the commitment, the assumptions underlying them as well as certain other developments.

(9) The commitment includes a clause stating that no additional fiscal measures are needed to help JAMA to achieve its CO2 objectives. The commitment does not question the right of the Community or its Member States to exercise their prerogatives in the field of fiscal policy as laid down in the strategy. The effect of fiscal measures will be assessed in the context of the monitoring of the commitment.

(10) The Commission intends to present a legislative proposal on CO2 emissions from passenger cars from JAMA fail to achieve the CO2 emission objective for 2009 in its commitment or should it not make sufficient progress towards this objective (as measured in particular against the estimated target range for 2003 in the commitment), and should the Commission not be satisfied that such failure is due to factors for which JAMA cannot be held accountable.

(11) The Commission has addressed similar recommendations to European(3) and Korean(4) automobile associations, to undertake CO2 emission reduction efforts which are equivalent to the commitment for their sales in the Community,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

Article 1

1. The members of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) should, mainly by technological developments and market changes linked to these developments, collectively achieve a CO2 emission target of 140 g/km CO2, as measured according to Commission Directive 93/116/EC(5), for the average of their new cars sold in the Community (category M1 as defined in Annex I to Council Directive 70/156/EEC(6)) by 2009. Innovative concepts for vehicles replacing conventional cars and passenger cars not producing CO2 emissions or using alternative fuels will be counted towards the achievement of this CO2 emission target even if they are not included in category M1 or are not currently covered by Directive 93/116/EC.

During the monitoring of the commitment, JAMA should cooperate with the Commission in identifying the effect of market changes which are not linked to technological developments.

2. JAMA should evaluate in 2003 the potential for additional fuel-efficiency improvements with a view to moving further towards the objective of 120 g/km CO2 by 2012.

3. Individual members of JAMA should place on the market in the Community models emitting 120 g/km CO2 or less, as measured according to Directive 93/116/EC, by the earliest possible date after the year 2000.

4. The members of JAMA should undertake every effort to achieve collectively an intermediate CO2 emission target in the range of 165 to 170 g/km CO2, as measured according to Directive 93/116/EC, by 2003.

5. JAMA should cooperate with the Commission in the monitoring of its commitment.

Article 2

This Recommendation is addressed to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).

Done at Brussels, 13 April 2000.

For the Commission

Margot Wallström

Member of the Commission

(1) COM(95) 689 final of 20 December 1995.

(2) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998, p. 58.

(3) OJ L 40, 13.2.1999, p. 49.

(4) See page 55 of this Official Journal.

(5) OJ L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 39.

(6) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1.