At the European Parliament today, MEPs exercised a measure to make the rules for the automotive sector more flexible, with the ambition of supporting the European car industry. This emergency procedure follows the European Commission’s industrial action plan for the European automotive sector announced on 5 March 2025. If they agree on this procedure, its implementation will be put to the vote on May 8.
Members thus gave the green light to the introduction of an emergency procedure that will allow manufacturers to measure their CO2 emission targets not over one year, but by calculating an average over the years 2025, 2026 and 2027. “This approach will allow them to balance annual excess emissions by exceeding the target in the following year or years,” members of parliament said. MEPs are due to meet again on Thursday, 8 May to vote on the substance of the draft.
This procedure concerns new personal vehicles and light commercial vehicles. This flexibility has been called for by European manufacturers such as Stellantis and Renault, whose executives have called for greater regulatory flexibility to help revive the automotive sector, which is facing increased competition and significant technological change.
“The three-year timescale proposed by the EU Commission provides much-needed assistance to manufacturers at a time when our industry is facing an unprecedented competitiveness crisis and the electric vehicle market is not developing as quickly as it should,” said the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). “With our industry under pressure, speed is now of the essence and certainty in turbulent times is paramount. We call on the European Parliament to adopt the European Commission’s proposal swiftly.” The ACEA declined to comment further.
Europe’s ambition with this disputed decision is to support the automotive sector, a pillar of the European economy that accounts for 7% of European GDP. But, according to several MEPs, the EU is not going far enough. “We want to guarantee its future, but many manufacturers are not going to be able to meet their climate targets,” said Jens Gieseke, a German member of the European People’s Party. “They are threatened with heavy fines, and if Brussels were to impose them, it would send out a negative message that would help to strengthen competition. Flexibility is necessary, but we still want to maintain the climate targets.”
For Carlo Fidanza, MEP for the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, the measure is a step in the right direction, but does not address the issue of fines. “We need to review the whole policy. Because we ourselves are pushing Europe towards decline.”
We need to focus on bringing more affordable electric cars to market before we are ejected from that market.
Others insisted on the need to move forward on the widespread use of electric vehicles, such as S&D MEP Mohammed Chahim (Netherlands) from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. Chahim spoke of an emergency proposal that would have to remain a one-off. “We recognise the legitimate fears and uncertainties of workers in the automotive sector in Europe, and they are the ones who will bear the brunt of the mistakes made by their bosses who failed to recognise the changing situation. This means that this measure can only be a one-off, and should be seen as a final warning. We need to focus on bringing more affordable electric cars to market before we are ejected from that market.”
The Greens made their displeasure clear with a football analogy. Said German MEP Kai Tegethoff of the Greens/European Free Alliance: “Imagine an electric vehicle market in a Europe versus the rest of the world football match. In the first half, we fall asleep. We’re down one to zero. We realise that, in the second half, we’re going to have to make up for lost time. And we’re here in the dressing room. In 2025, sales of electric vehicles will have reached record levels, and we have a coach who tells us: ‘Let’s give up and let the other team score!’ But it’s precisely electric vehicles that we need to score. China will soon control the entire supply chain. And our coach is standing on the sidelines congratulating himself. What a shame!”
“An emergency procedure is being used to short-circuit the debate. If we stop watering down ecological certifications, why bother adopting them? commented MEP Per Clauser of the Left Group in the European Parliament.
Cars and vans account for around 15% of the EU’s CO2 emissions. Parliament backed the commission’s proposal to achieve zero CO2 emissions from cars and vans by 2035. This proposal is accompanied by interim emission reduction targets for 2030 of 55% for cars and 50% for vans.
This article was originally published in French.
