To no one’s great surprise, the EU has adopted weakened its proposed carbon emission performance standards for new cars and vans.

With 458 votes for, 101 against and 14 abstentions, MEPs supported the proposal to support Europe’s automotive sector, which is experiencing the impact of rapid technological changes and increasing competition.

The proposed change offers manufacturers the possibility to comply with their obligations for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027 by averaging their performance over the three-year period, rather than each individual year. This approach would allow them to balance any excess annual emissions by outperforming the target in subsequent year(s).

The proposal is part of the Commission's industrial action plan for the European automotive sector, announced on 5 March 2025. It followed the strategic dialogue on the future of the automotive industry launched by Ursula von der Leyen on 30 January 2025, which involved an open public consultation and discussions with industry and stakeholders to address the most pressing challenges facing the sector.

---