Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a scheme to monitor the average specific emissions of carbon dioxide from new passenger cars` () (1999/C 40/03)

On 9 July 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 189c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 29 October 1998. The rapporteur was Mr Gafo Fernández, and the co-rapporteurs were Mr Kallio and Mrs Sánchez Miguel.

At its 359th plenary session (meeting of 3 December 1998) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 42 votes in favour, no votes against and no abstentions.

1. Introduction

1.1. The aim of the proposal is to establish a common mechanism for monitoring CO2 emissions from cars registered for the first time in the Community and not previously registered in another country.

1.2. The proposal forms part of the Community strategy on climate change and on the reduction of passenger car emissions, as established by the Environment Council on 25 June 1996. This strategy was most recently expressed in the conclusions of the Environment and Transport Council of 16 and 17 June 1998, which set an average CO2 emission target of 120g/km for newly registered cars by the year 2005 and in no case beyond 2010. The conclusions also called for the establishment of a strong monitoring system in the light of the Environment Council conclusions of 23 March 1998.

1.3. Account should also be taken of the recent agreement between the Commission and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). In the agreement, which was welcomed by the Environment Council of 6 October 1998, the ACEA undertakes to achieve an average emission target of 140g of CO2 per kilometre for new passenger cars sold in the EU by the year 2008. In 2003, it will review the potential for additional reductions with a view to achieving the global target of an average 120g of CO2 per kilometre by the year 2013.

1.4. Under the proposed monitoring system, Member States will be required to submit data on emissions of vehicles registered in each country. The first set of data must be submitted by 1 July 2001; thereafter, data for each year are to be submitted by 1 April of the following year. The following categories of data are to be supplied:

Under Annex 1

- Emissions for all newly registered passenger cars.

Under Annex 4

- Average total emissions (ATE) per manufacturer and range of CO2 emissions;

- ATE per manufacturer, fuel type and range of CO2 emissions;

- ATE per manufacturer, fuel type, car mass in kg and range of CO2 emissions;

- ATE per manufacturer, fuel type, range of engine capacity and range of CO2 emissions.

1.5. The Commission intends Member States to establish these data using the harmonized type-approval documentation for new vehicles that is specified in Directive 70/156/EEC, as last amended by Directive 98/14/EC (), and in current national registration systems.

1.6. The Commission considers that only a few Member States will need to extend the information they currently require for the registration of new vehicles, and that it is therefore not necessary for the present decision to harmonize registration procedures. It does however consider that the implementation of the decision might require these procedures to be adjusted at national level, even though EU harmonization is not planned.

2. General comments

2.1. The Committee warmly welcomes the proposal. The decision should help to achieve the desired reduction in CO2 emissions, by verifying compliance with the voluntary agreements concluded with car manufacturers and, indirectly, by improving consumer awareness and choice. This should further strengthen car manufacturers' commitment to improve the efficiency of new vehicles and should encourage Member States to introduce fiscal and other schemes which speed up the renewal of the car fleet and promote the most efficient vehicles.

2.2. A number of Committee opinions () have highlighted the need for an overall study of the impact which changes in passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles (e.g. stricter safety standards, reduction in noise emissions, new fuel quality, recycling of scrap vehicles) have had on energy consumption and thus on CO2 emissions. The Committee feels that the introduction of the proposed monitoring scheme brings an urgent need for such a study in order to measure the actual progress made regarding current CO2 emission levels, taking account of all the abovementioned variables.

2.3. The Committee thinks that in order to make the proposed system as effective as possible, three further measures should be considered:

2.3.1. Firstly, an individual vehicle labelling system should be established, to help consumers select the most efficient vehicles for their particular needs, in line with the Commission's September 1998 proposal ().

2.3.2. Secondly, a national system of fiscal incentives for the most efficient vehicles should be promoted. The Commission should issue guidelines to ensure that this system does not distort competition between countries and/or manufacturers.

2.3.3. Thirdly, it is very important for consumers not only to be informed about the emissions of individual vehicles (see 2.3.1) but also to be given the data for each category of manufacturer, fuel type and other factors, as referred to in Article 4 of the Commission proposal. This information too should be published so as to help the consumer make an environmentally responsible choice.

2.3.4. The Committee urges the Commission to come to an agreement with the ACEA and the manufacturers and importers of vehicles from third countries on the publication of all the information referred to in point 2.3.3.

2.3.5. The Committee urges the Commission to tie this opinion in with the request made by the Environment Council on 25 June 1996 - and reiterated in its conclusions of 23 March 1998 - that the Commission ensure that the 'main car manufacturing countries implement similar policies` for reducing CO2 emissions, given that importers should endeavour to take part in all the measures which European manufacturers adopt to improve efficiency, including emissions monitoring systems.

Brussels, 3 December 1998.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI

() OJ C 231, 23.7.1998, p. 6.

() OJ L 91, 25.3.1998.

() See for example OJ C 89, 19.3.1997; OJ C 206, 7.7.1997; OJ C 287, 22.9.1997.

() COM(1998) 489 final.