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EVP leader Weber wants to relax regulations for the automotive industry

by AI | 23.Sep 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The automotive industry is in crisis, the demand for electric cars has decreased. The leader of the EPP, Manfred Weber, wants to help with relaxations in environmental standards.

The automotive industry must reduce CO2 emissions according to EU regulations. Photo: Alejandro Martínez Vélez/Europa Press/Archive

Augsburg – The chairman of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber demands that impending fines for car manufacturers under the planned stricter fleet regulations for CO2 emissions be suspended. “If tens of thousands of jobs are at stake, then there is no time for fines,” Weber told the newspaper “Augsburger Allgemeine”.

The head of the largest faction in the European Parliament and deputy of the German Christian Social Union (CSU) also called for all EU regulations for the automotive industry to be reviewed. “We need a general revision of all laws and regulations for the automotive industry,” Weber said. “Otherwise, we will not be able to make this important industry future-proof and secure jobs.”

Mass manufacturers like Volkswagen or Renault needed a clear perspective, the European politician urged. It might be that some environmental standards would also be questioned as they overshot the target, he added.

EU: CO2 emissions from vehicles must decrease, otherwise fines threaten

The EU wants to gradually tighten the so-called fleet targets for the emission of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2). The current value of an average of 115.1 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer per vehicle is to drop to 93.6 grams in 2025 and to 49.5 grams in 2030. If too much CO2 is emitted, manufacturers face fines.

The industry fears additional multi-billion burdens in view of the decreased demand for electric cars. Recently, VW supervisory board chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch called for the CO2 fleet targets to be relaxed. Environmentalists are against it.