New EU proposals are a step forward to improve vehicle emissions and get in line with the Paris Agreement goals
The package is the second set of mobility proposals that the Commission presents this year. 'Europe on the Move' was presented in May and included a wide-ranging set of initiatives aimed at making traffic safer; encourage smart road charging; reduce CO2 emissions, air pollution and congestion; cut red-tape for businesses; fight illicit employment and ensure proper conditions and rest times for workers.
The Clean Mobility Package published yesterday includes the following initiatives:
- New CO2 standards to help manufacturers to embrace innovation and supply low-emission vehicles to the market. The proposal also includes an intermediate target for 2025 and a final one for 2030. The latter gives stability and long-term direction to keep up the investments. These targets help pushing the transition from conventional combustion-engine vehicles to clean ones.
- The Clean Vehicles Directive to promote clean mobility solutions in public procurement tenders and thereby provide a boost to the demand and to the further deployment of clean mobility solutions.
- An action plan and investment solutions for the trans-European deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The aim is to increase the level of ambition of national plans, to increase investment, and improve consumer acceptance.
- The revision of the Combined Transport Directive, which promotes the combined use of different modes for freight transport (e.g. lorries and trains), will make it easier for companies to claim incentives and therefore stimulate the combined use of trucks and trains, barges or ships for the transport of goods.
- The Directive on Passenger Coach Services, to stimulate the development of bus connections over long distances across Europe and offer alternative options to the use of private cars, will contribute to further reducing transport emissions and road congestion. This is supposed to offer additional, better quality and more affordable mobility options, particularly for people on low income.
- The battery initiative aims to improve the EU's integrated industrial policy so that the vehicles and other future mobility solutions and their components will be invented and produced in the EU.
More details about the proposals and the impact assessments behind them can be accessed via the press release.