Automakers should be given more time to cut carbon dioxide emissions from their cars under legislation proposed by the European Union's executive arm, EU lawmakers said on Tuesday. In a non-binding report, the European Parliament said manufacturers should reduce the average level of car C02 emitted to 125 grams per km by 2015, rather than to 120 grams by 2012 as proposed by the European Commission last month.
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Automakers should be given more time to cut carbon dioxide emissions from their cars under legislation proposed by the European Union's executive arm, EU lawmakers said on Tuesday.
In a non-binding report, the European Parliament said manufacturers should reduce the average level of car C02 emitted to 125 grams per km by 2015, rather than to 120 grams by 2012 as proposed by the European Commission last month.
The Strasbourg-based assembly will later negotiate with the EU's 27 governments on the final shape of the legislation, aimed at cutting output of the main gas blamed for global warming.
"Car manufacturers need years to develop a car. Binding legislation has to consider that. Our CO2 targets have to be of course ambitious but also realistic," said the report's author, German liberal Jorgo Chatzimarkakis.
!ADVERTISEMENT!The Commission's proposal, which envisages fines, has enraged Germany especially and its carmakers, which tend to produce vehicles with big engines.
German producers of heavier luxury vehicles such as Porsche, with by far the highest emissions of any major carmaker, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, could face billions of euros in fines unless they change course fast.
To become law, the Commission's draft must be approved by a qualified majority of member states and a simple majority in parliament.
(Reporting by Marcin Grajewski; editing by James Jukwey)
