The Low Level Group on Clean Cars (LLG) has issued its final report. The LLG, which was set up in March this year by MEP Dorette Corbey, is a response to the European Commission’s High Level Group on CARS 21 which is a discussion between Enterprise Commisser Gunther Verheugen and the CEOs of a few car companies.
During four exploratory meetings the Low Level Group on Clean Cars has discussed how to ensure that the European automotive industry will retain its global competitiveness, be a source of high quality employment, as well as a producer of environmentally sustainable vehicles. The discussions have included various stakeholders from the European Parliament, member state representatives, car manufacturers and NGOs, and EPHA attended the fourth meeting.
The debate in the LLG about clean cars must be seen in the context of the Lisbon Strategy and its relaunch at the 2005 Spring Council. The Lisbon strategy has three dimensions - economic, social and environmental. The LLG, rather than seeing the environment and competition as mutually exclusive, believes that the two can and should strengthen one another. Hence, the objective of the LLG is to ’contribute to a sustainable and competitive automotive industry that produces environmentally friendly vehicles as a source of empoyment in Europe’.
The emphasis on clean cars is due to the growing public and political concerns about air quality, climate change and energy use. Having to take these issues into consideration there are two options for the car industry: 1) continue producing cars which will lead to government regulations limiting car use, and hence negatively affecting competitiveness, growth and jobs, or 2) produce clean cars which will be beneficial both in economic and environmental terms. The LLG aims to promote the latter and therefore issues its recommendations to CARS 21.
The LLG puts forth four principles for how to achieve a sustainable, clean car industry:
Performance not technology: Regulations should be technology neutral and be limited to setting the required performance objective.
Long-term perspective: in order to allow for research and development. This however should not prevent setting ambitious short-term environmental goals.
Regulation that provides incentives and rewards for green innovations: provide a regulatory framework with incentives to opt for clean options and forerunners should be rewarded.
Clear public responsibility: authorities should take the leading role in stimulating the development of clean technologies.
The LLG calls for action on seven points:
Tighter pollutant emission limits
Increased fuel efficiency
Strengthening research and development
Employment
Public Procurement
Co-ordinated fiscal strategies
Making green mobility choices possible
For the full text of the recommendations see MEP Dorette Corbey’s homepage.
