News Article - 03 September 2008
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A committee of MEPs has voted to give car manufacturers more time to reduce vehicle emissions and lower the financial penalties for those who don't hit the targets.

The European Commission's (EC) original proposal had been for emissions to be cut to 130 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre by 2012, but while the European Parliament's industry committee approved the targets, it rejected the timescale.

Instead, the MEPs voted 35 to 21 in favour of proposals that will see the law phased in, so that only 60 per cent of vehicles would have the rule applied in 2012, with every vehicle having to meet the standard by 2015.

The committee also voted that the fines for failing to meet the targets should be reduced to no more than €40 for each gram that exceeds the target, after an initial EC proposal of €90.

Some transport campaigners were unhappy with the result.

"The industry committee wants loopholes so wide that you could drive a gas-guzzling SUV through them," said Kerstin Meyer of the European Federation for Transport and Environment.

The German MEP who drafted the report, Werner Langen, said that he had tried to make uncontroversial compromises.

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