The EU Commission will weaken the 2025 target for CO2 requirements for new cars by delaying when the target will actually be achieved. This is absurd, says the environmental organization Rådet for Grøn omstelling

The proposal comes after massive pressure from the automotive industry and is intended as a gift to the industry. However, the Green Transition Denmark believes that this is a big self-defeating goal.

"It is absurd to propose changing a target that has already come into force and when everything indicates that the industry can achieve the target. And it is fundamentally contrary to both the industry's and the EU's strategic interests," says Jeppe Juul, Head of Transport Policy at the Green Transition Denmark.

He also emphasizes that it creates significant uncertainty in a market when such a proposal is made, which then later has to be negotiated with both the European Parliament and the EU member states.

"The goal has been known for 8 years, and when you look at sales in Europe, the models and prices that are coming, and the manufacturers' own statements, everything indicates that they can generally achieve the goals. But they prefer short-term high profits, instead of really putting in the effort to compete with the USA and China. In doing so, they are harming both their own and the EU's strategic interests," says Jeppe Juul.

The EU's target requires that new cars in 2025 have 15% less CO2 emissions than in 2020/21.

The EU's transport sector accounts for around 2/3 of the EU's oil consumption. And while private households in Denmark buy 80% of electric cars when buying new cars, the situation is different in most of Europe where sales of fossil cars are still very high.

"It is no coincidence that the Chinese are focusing on the rapid electrification of their road transport. Like the EU, they are completely dependent on oil imports. But in China the share of electric cars was twice as large as in the EU. Now the EU Commission wants to help both Europe and the automotive industry fall even further behind, while European consumers are increasingly left to buy Chinese electric cars."

Especially in this light, the EU Commission's proposal makes no sense, according to Jeppe Juul:

"We will not win by slowing down and relaxing the requirements to ensure a globally competitive European automotive industry and slowing down the pace of moving away from our deep dependence on fossil fuels, which is a threat to the security of our continent."

The EU Commission's proposal must now be formally presented and considered by the EU Council of Ministers and the EU Parliament.