Skip to main content

Brussels, Belgium | AFP

EU countries gave final approval on Tuesday to a reprieve for European carmakers over new emission targets, as they seek to balance climate goals with support for a struggling key industry.

Starting this year, the European Union is cutting the average carbon emissions that new vehicles sold in the 27-country bloc are permitted to produce, with steep fines if auto manufacturers fail to comply.

Carmakers had expressed concern that they would not be able to meet the target because of lacklustre sales of electric vehicles.

Member states on Tuesday adopted a proposal put forward by the European Commission in March that allows companies to comply with the targets by averaging their emissions over three years from 2025 to 2027, rather than each individual year.

This means they will not be fined if they fail to meet the 2025 target by December 31 this year.

The changes aim “to grant car manufacturers the flexibility required to meet their emissions targets,” said the European Council, the body representing member states.

The amendment is to enter into force after publication in the EU’s official journal.

Brussels has made it a priority to support businesses and revamp the economy in the face of fierce US and Chinese competition.

The automotive sector is the jewel in Europe’s industrial crown, employing around 13 million people and contributing some seven percent to the EU’s economy.

But with factory closures in Europe and US President Donald Trump‘s tariffs threatening to upend the global trading system, the industry faces increasing risks.

ub/ec/gl

© Agence France-Presse

Article Source:
Press Release/Material by AFP
Featured image credit: jcomp | Freepik

Man pleads not guilty to chopping down one of UK’s most famous trees
Man pleads not guilty to chopping down one of UK’s most famous treesNews

Man pleads not guilty to chopping down one of UK’s most famous trees

Newcastle, United Kingdom (AFP) - A 38-year-old man on Wednesday denied criminal damage, after one of the UK's most-loved and photographed trees was found cut…
SourceSourceMay 15, 2024 Full article
How the rising earth in Antarctica will impact future sea level rise
How the rising earth in Antarctica will impact future sea level riseClimateScience

How the rising earth in Antarctica will impact future sea level rise

Effects will depend on how much global warming is controlled, study finds. By Tatyana Woodall | Ohio State University The rising earth beneath the Antarctic…
SourceSourceAugust 3, 2024 Full article
Image of the day: Saharan dust over the Mediterranean
Satellite image: Mediterranean Sea
Image of the day: Saharan dust over the MediterraneanNews

Image of the day: Saharan dust over the Mediterranean

On 2 February 2025, strong winds carried a vast cloud of Saharan dust across the Mediterranean, reaching southern Italy. The phenomenon, driven by a cyclone…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 4, 2025 Full article