On 15 April 2019, the Council adopted the new Regulationsetting CO₂ emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles. The Regulation was presented by the Commission in November 2017 and falls within the third clean mobility package.

The new rules are part of the European initiatives aimed at achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. In particular, they aim at ensuring that, between 2025 and 2029, new cars and new vans will emit 15% less CO₂. From 2030 onwards, new cars will emit on average 37.5% less CO₂and new vans will emit on average 31% less CO₂compared to 2021 levels. The CO₂reduction effort will be distributed among manufacturers on the basis of the average mass of their vehicle fleet.

The proposed targets are based on the the energy union strategy, which aims at a reduction in transport emissions and energy consumption. It is also expected that the reduced need for fossil fuels will also improve the security of energy supply in the EU.

Sara Capruzzi