(fra kommisjonsforslaget)

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal

Regulation (EU) 2019/ 1242 1 sets CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles. It is a key contribution to achieve the objectives set in the EU climate law, including the 2050 climate neutrality and the 2030 target to reduce economy-wide CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 1990.

The automotive industry is of key importance for the EU economy and accounts for over 7% of the EU's GDP. It provides jobs - directly or indirectly, in manufacturing, sales, maintenance, construction and transport services - to around 13 million Europeans. The automotive sector is undergoing a structural transformation including changes in clean and digital technologies. The CO2 standards provide long-term certainty and predictability for investors along the value chain, therefore enabling such sectoral transformation, while allowing sufficient lead time for a fair transition towards zero-emission vehicles.

The regulation requires that the annual EU fleet-wide average CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles are reduced in five-year intervals. In 2025, a target of 15% reduction of CO2 compared to 2019 values starts applying in each reporting period for the 2025–2029 period for heavy lorries with a technically permissible maximum laden mass (TPMLM) greater than 16 t. This is followed by a CO2 reduction target for a wider group of heavy-duty vehicles, including lorries with TPMLM > 5t and buses with TPMLM > 7,5 t of 43% applicable as from 2030 onwards. The latter target effectively requires a significant share of zero-emission (e.g. battery electric) vehicles amongst the registered new vehicles of a manufacturer.

Each year, the average CO2 emissions and the specific CO2 emissions target for each manufacturer are established, based on the EU fleet-wide target, in order to evaluate the manufacturers’ performance in complying with their targets.

Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 allows manufacturers to collect emission credits if their specific CO2 emissions are below the CO2 emissions reduction trajectory, which is a linear trajectory between the targets applicable at the beginning of two subsequent 5-years periods. These emission credits can then be used for compliance at a later stage.

This targeted amendment provides manufacturers with an additional flexibility on CO2 targets, allowing them to collect more emission credits in the years before 2030. It would facilitate compliance in the period as of 2030, while maintaining the targets for reducing CO2 emissions. Further possible modifications of this Regulation are entirely outside of the scope and aims of the present proposal. The need for such modifications may be assessed, as appropriate, in the context of the upcoming review of the Regulation. To maintain regulatory certainty and predictability, it is essential that this additional flexibility is agreed between the European Parliament and Council swiftly and without delay. The Commission will constructively engage with the co-legislators, in order to ensure that the legislative process on the present proposal fully preserves its essential object and does not distort it.