Vans manufactured between now and 2020 should gradually pollute less, but this crisis-hit industry should be set slightly easier targets than those proposed by the Commission, according to a majority in the Environment Committee.
Voting on the draft legislation on Tuesday, MEPs also suggested more modest fines for manufacturers who fail to comply with the rules.
The committee's amendments to proposals to reduce emissions from "light commercial vehicles" (i.e. those weighing under 2,610 kg) were adopted with 32 votes in favour, 25 against and 1 abstention.
The vans proposal (report by Martin Callanan ECR, UK), follows EU legislation regulating passenger car emissions, which was approved last year.
Some MEPs supported a European Commission proposal that manufacturers should reduce the average emissions across their fleets to 135 grams of CO2 by 2020 (with interim targets from 2014). But a majority in committee, led by Mr Callanan, recommended that this should be eased to 140g CO2 per km, due to the van industry's long production cycles and its difficult economic situation.
MEPs said the emphasis should be on incentive schemes, such as "super credits" for highly efficient vehicles, to encourage manufacturers to achieve targets. But financial penalties should reach €95 for each gram of CO2 per vehicle over the limit by 2019, to help drive innovation. This figure is lower than the €120 proposed by the Commission, but in line with rules agreed for cars.
The European Parliament will put the proposals to plenary vote in November, after which Council will agree its position at this first reading stage.
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