12.5.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 194/85
decarbonisation pace that the Fit for 55 package will entail, mainly in the automotive industry, additional resources will be needed to cope with the social consequences of emission reduction measures in regions depending on automotive supply chains.
4.
Specific comments 4.1.
The EESC stresses that fleet limits provide a very powerful and efficient impetus for technological change in the industry.
It is largely due to this regulatory impulse that the European automotive industry has set out on the road to emission-free vehicles.
More ambitious fleet limits will help ensure that Europe can become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
4.2.
The EESC shares the view, that new registrations of cars and in vans in the European Union should make it possible to achieve a 100 % reduction in EU fleet-wide emissions by 2035.
The EESC points out that this reduction target can only be achieved if all framework conditions are optimally interlinked and customers (throughout the European Union) can be convinced to switch to zero-emission vehicles.
It is therefore important to roll out the necessary charging infrastructure where people live, work and carry out their daily activities, while making sure that this charging infrastructure is convenient for them.
4.3.
The EESC supports the proposed EU fleet-wide CO2 emission reduction targets for new passenger cars by 55 % (compared to the 2021 target) as from 2030.
The EESC points out that, given the specific production and development cycles in the automotive industry, the necessary decisions in the industry to achieve this target must be taken now.
4.4.
While generally also supporting the 50 % reduction target for light commercial vehicles, the EESC draws attention to both the specific production and development cycle and the typical usage of these vehicles.
The EESC is concerned that unless the charging infrastructure to support the transition is in place, the reduction targets will be hard to achieve and thus additional criteria might be needed.
4.5.
The EESC reaffirms its 2018 call for a mid-term review of the current regulation (originally due in 2024) to include the state of play regarding the qualification and (re)training of staff, as well as an updated analysis of the areas in which (additional) action is required in order to further improve the skills and qualifications of employees in the automotive industry for the structural transition (26).
The EESC reiterates that these aspects should be included in the proposed governance and monitoring provisions, which must be based on Real Driving Emissions tests.
4.6.
The revision of the CO2 standards regulation must be based on technology neutrality, while bearing in mind that not all options offer high energy-efficiency performance.
Even though electrification is clearly the leading option when it comes to decarbonising road transport, it might not be the most relevant option for heavier or long distance modes of transport.
As stressed by the European Commission in its 2018 Communication ‘A Clean Planet for all’, a wide variety of technologies must be considered and the EU approach must be based on technology neutrality.
Batteries, hydrogen, advanced biofuels, biomethane and e-liquids will have a role to play in decarbonising the transport system.
The EESC supports the ‘technology neutrality’ principle and stresses the need to keep in the mobility mix all powertrains that meet the CO2 and emission standards in line with the Green Deal objectives.
4.7.
In line with its previous opinion (27), the EESC notes that, despite all of the benefits, the ‘tailpipe’ approach opted for in the draft regulation has to be complemented by other policy instruments.
The Fit for 55 Package must ensure a life-cycle approach and avoid road transport electrification leading to a shift of emissions upstream in the value chain.
The EU Emissions Trading System revision, as well as the Renewable Energy Directive, must ensure that the electrification of road transport and the decarbonisation of electricity production happen at the same pace.
4.8.
Current market uptake shows that the plug-in hybrid technology can act as an entry-point and transitional technology to help achieve the climate targets in the transport sector.
However, it has to be ensured that hybrid vehicles are being used in purely electric mode for most of the time, with frequent charging.
To counter the growing discussion of misleading labelling of PHEVs, measures should be taken swiftly to boost the proportion of ‘electric journeys’, including:
(26) (27)
OJ C 227, 28.6.2018, p. 52, points 1.6 and 4.13.
OJ C 227, 28.6.2018, p. 52.