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Outlook on the forthcoming EU CO2-policy
To ensure the EU meets its greenhouse gas emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol and beyond the Commission amongst others is currently outlining a comprehensive new strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans sold in the European Union together with a revision of EU fuel quality. The strategy will enable the EU to reach its long-established objective of limiting average CO2 emissions from new cars to 120 grams per km by 2012 - a reduction of around 25% from current levels.
The proposal will provide manufacturers with the necessary incentive to reduce the CO2 emissions of their vehicles by imposing an excess emissions premium if their average emission levels are above the limit value curve. This premium will be based on the number of grams per kilometer (g/km) that an average vehicle sold by the manufacturer is above the curve, multiplied by the number of vehicles sold by the manufacturer.
According to the existing draft proposal motor caravans and other special purpose vehicles will be exempt from the scope and consequently also from the excess premium system. Nonetheless, to encourage the car industry to compete on the basis of fuel efficiency instead of size and power, the Commission is also inviting manufacturers to sign an EU code of good practice on car marketing and advertising. All in all, the Commission's direction is clear and foreseeable so it will only be a matter of time until the caravanning industry will also have to cope with the growing responsibilities incumbent on CO2 emissions most likely starting with detailed consumer information on energy efficiency and fuel consumption.
