Battle over European Union car emissions takes greener path

A key EU vote on curbing tailpipe emissions from cars ended in chaos last week, but a consensus is now emerging in favour of swiftly enforced limits and tight controls on potential loopholes.

The lawmakers who will swing any further vote say they want a carbon dioxide limit as soon as possible and rules that spur car makers to innovate, without opening loopholes for inaction.

The EU executive commission has proposed cutting CO2 from cars by 18 per cent to 130 grams per kilometre by 2012 as part of an ambitious plan to lead the world in reining in climate change, and many nations are expected to follow its strategy.

But auto making nations have successfully pressed for a softening of the plan, led by Germany, which specialises in powerful, luxury vehicles like Mercedes and BMW, which emit the most greenhouse gases.

The big car makers have argued that a rush to legislate puts jobs and export earnings at risk.

"The car lobby asked for too much, and so they got nothing," said Greenpeace campaigner Franziska Achterberg.

In addition, car parts suppliers, who provide 60-80 per cent of any cars value, are increasingly getting across their message that the technology is ready now and they welcome swift action.

"This does not endanger jobs - it will create jobs and benefit economies," said auto expert Paul Nieuwenhuis at Cardiff Business School. "Manufacturers' fight for a delay to 2015 is a difficult one to justify as they already bought from the suppliers a lot of the technology they need to meet the goal."

Mr Nieuwenhuis said the industry might be suffering a backlash due to the perception it has already been too successful in making its voice heard. "If lobbying is too intense it can become counter-productive," he said.

That view was shared by car manufacturers group ACEA, which also said realism had been thrown out in favour of idealism.

"We have to get away from the emotion of the debate and find a realistic framework that helps both the environment and the industry," he added.

Parliament's representatives will now seek to agree binding laws with the member states, but any laws will then have to be approved by the whole parliament, particularly its two biggest groups - the conservatives and socialists. Doing that means winning over their greenest members.