Minister Tiilikainen to the EU Environment Council - Finland calls for stricter emission standards for new vehicles
The Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen attends the meeting of the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on Monday 25 June. The topics on the agenda include the CO2 standards for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles and the Drinking Water Directive. The ministers will also adopt the Conclusions on the Circular Economy Action Plan, including the EU Strategy for Plastics.
The Commission gave the proposal for a regulation laying down the CO2 standards for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in November 2017. By the regulation the Commission obliges automobile manufacturers to develop lower-emission vehicles by setting CO2 standards for 2025 and 2030. The proposal specifies the grams on average of carbon dioxide per kilometre that new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold in the EU can produce.
Finland considers that the proposed limits are insufficient and should be tightened in order that the policy would be in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement and the necessary emissions reductions will be achieved. Obligations set at the EU level are a much easier way to contribute to improving the energy efficiency of vehicles than any national steering instruments.
“Transport is the only sector where the emissions within the EU have grown in recent years. Action is needed to address this. Legislation must support efficient reduction of emissions from transport, or other sectors will have to pay the price. That would be a very costly way”, says Minister Kimmo Tiilikainen.
Minister Tiilikainen will also meet the Commissioner responsible for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella and participate in the meeting of the Green Growth Group (GGG) composed of EU countries with ambitious climate policies. Besides the emission standards, the GGG deals with the EU’s Long-term Climate Strategy to 2050.
Inquiries:
Eleonoora Eilittä, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 295 34 2089, firstname.lastname(at)lvm.fi (CO2 emission standards for vehicles)
Taru Savolainen, Special Adviser, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 40 535 8622, firstname.lastname(at)ym.fi