The deputy spokesperson for the Spanish delegation of the European People’s Party (EPP), Raúl de la Hoz, yesterday urged the European Commission to review the automotive sector’s emissions targets and guarantee the principle of technological neutrality during its intervention at the plenary session of the European Parliament, where he addressed the crisis facing this sector and the risk of job losses.
PP sources explained that the People’s Party MEP highlighted the need for the European Commission to adopt urgent and forceful measures to protect the employment of millions of workers in the sector against international competitors in the current automobile crisis. De la Hoz expressed concern about the CO2 emissions reduction targets set by the European Union’s emissions regulation, according to a statement.
Within the framework of the Regulationthe automobile industry is obliged to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions to achieve the sustainability targets of the European Green Deal, by reaching net zero CO2 emissions in new vehicles by 2035. De la Hoz called for reforms and a reorientation of policies to adapt strategies and fight competition doped foreigner.
In his speech, he stressed that “the emissions reduction targets that we have imposed on the sector today are very far from being achieved.” In addition, mentioned the low demand for electric vehicles due to poor charging infrastructure, high costs and lack of incentives in some states. All this, he explained, has generated discontent among automakers, who face million-dollar fines if they fail to meet strict emissions reduction targets set.
The “extraordinarily high and unjustified” fines imposed on manufacturers for non-compliance with regulations are, according to him, considered an additional burden which endangers the competitiveness of European industry vis-à-vis global players, in particular vis-à-vis the regions of the world who are less committed to such strict climate regulations.
Finally, the MEP asked the European Commission bring forward the assessment of the emissions regulation until 2025, in order to “review the intermediate objectives and also to sincerely introduce the role of biofuels, synthetic fuels, and thus guarantee the principle of technological neutrality and open the debate on the production of plug-in hybrids after 2035”.
