EU Cars 2020 strategy to be presented today...

Pippa Gallop <[email protected]> Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:39:18 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.politics.activism.carfree-network
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Looks awful....

http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/greens-rap-commission-report-la=
c-news-515908

Good opportunity for media work if anyone has the capacity?

EXCLUSIVE: The EU pledges funding worth billions of euros to the=20
automotive industry up 2020 in a leaked draft of its cars strategy, to=20
be presented today (8 November). The new strategy comes amid a wave of=20
announced factory closures and lay-offs in the sector but was criticised=20
by Green activists for lacking ambition on C0_2 emission cuts.

Antonio Tajani, EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, is=20
due to present the 'Cars 2020' strategy to reporters on Thursday (8=20
November).

In the draft document, seen by EurActiv, the EU executive says it=20
intends to support the growth of the automotive sector into 20% of=20
European GDP by 2020, from its current level of 16%, laying out a number=20
of financing mechanisms for the sector.

The document earmarks a share of the planned EUR80 billion 'Horizon=20
2020' research and innovation fund and the EUR2.5 billion=20
Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs programme, as well as support=20
for workers laid off as a result of "industrial adjustment" in the=20
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund=20
<http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-budget/eu-countries-send-conflicting=
-si-news-515872>.

It also calls for backing from the European Investment Bank. "The=20
Commission will continue working with the EIB in order to ensure that=20
financing for automotive research and innovation projects is available,"=20
the document reads.

But environmental groups have been left unsatisfied by what they view as=20
the draft's relative lack of focus on van emission reductions and=20
consumer awareness.

*'Regulatory holiday'*

Greg Archer of Transport & Environment told EurActiv the action plan=20
"fails to implement key opportunities to reduce emissions from freight=20
[and] provide consumers with understandable reliable information about=20
fuel costs from low-carbon vehicles."

In the draft the EU executive bars out a paragraph referring to=20
emissions from HDVs - heavy-duty vehicles - as well as references to=20
consumer awareness and harmonisation of labels for fuel consumption and=20
CO_2 emissions.

Franziska Achterberg, an EU policy advisor at Greenpeace Europe, told=20
EurActiv she thought Tajani was giving too much of a "regulatory break"=20
to carmakers, saying more emphasis should have been put on developing=20
green technologies.

"The European industry will only be competitive if it develops and=20
markets new environmental technologies," she said adding: "This isn't=20
going to happen without pressure from regulation".

Tajani has said he wished to impose a regulatory moratorium on the car=20
industry to ensure the survival of sector after the economic crisis.

"The funding is not matched with the right conditions to make sure it is=20
going in the right direction," she said.

*Smart regulation*

Archer also said the paper "fails to recognise the benefits of smart=20
regulation", influencing the EU's ability to grow and create jobs.

But Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive of the European Association of=20
Automotive Suppliers, which was involved in drafting the document, told=20
EurActiv that this did not necessarily mean doing everything that is=20
"technically feasible".

"You do what is necessary for what will keep [Europe's] lead in the=20
automotive industry," he said, adding he did not think that the EU=20
needed to impose regulations on freight.

Fuel efficiency "is the first purchasing criteria" for commercial=20
vehicles, he said. "The market pushes for lower fuel consumption. "Will=20
it still be smart regulation if the market pushes for it? European=20
trucks are the best worldwide for fuel consumption."

He said he supported the regulation proposed by Tajani and that the=20
essential 'green' element - a ceiling of 95g/km of CO_2 - was included.=20
"A cost-benefit analysis... has found the best compromise".

Positions:

*Niall Carty, a communications manager at the F=E9d=E9ration Internationale=
=20
de l'Automobile*, told EurActiv the car consumer group has "always=20
pushed for ambitious targets" on green vehicles, believing that they=20
will offer the consumer value for money in the long term.

"We believe that the 95 [grams of CO_2 per km] targets are possible and=20
are proven to be possible", he said.

He said studies showed that green technologies could save the consumer=20
up to EUR800 per year, depending on the price of oil.

When asked about the removal of the paragraphs mentioning HDVs Carty=20
said FIA wished to see just as strict targets for vans as for cars. He=20
also said FIA was in favour of green labelling, which "provides valuable=20
information about the fuel and environmental costs".

Next steps:

  * *8 Nov. 2012:* The European Commission to adopt the "Cars 2020:
    Action Plan for a competitive and sustainable automotive industry in
    Europe".

--=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D
Pippa Gallop
Research Co-ordinator
CEE Bankwatch Network
http://www.bankwatch.org
Skype: pippa.gallop

c/o Zelena akcija
Frankopanska 1 pp.952
10 000 Zagreb
Hrvatska/Croatia
----------------------------

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    Looks awful....<br>
    <br>
    <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/greens-rap-commission-report-lac-news-515908">http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/greens-rap-commission-report-lac-news-515908</a><br>
    <br>
    Good opportunity for media work if anyone has the capacity?<br>
    <br>
    <div class="field field-short-abstract">
      <div class="field-items">
        <div class="field-item odd">
          <p>EXCLUSIVE: The EU&nbsp;pledges funding worth billions of euros
            to the automotive industry up 2020 in a leaked&nbsp;draft&nbsp;of its
            cars strategy, to be presented today (8 November). The new
            strategy comes amid a wave of announced factory closures and
            lay-offs in the sector but was criticised by Green activists
            for lacking ambition on C0<sub>2</sub> emission cuts.</p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="field field-body">
      <p>Antonio&nbsp;Tajani, EU Commissioner for Industry and
        Entrepreneurship, is due to present the &#8216;Cars 2020&#8217; strategy to
        reporters on Thursday (8 November).</p>
      <p>In the draft document, seen by EurActiv, the EU executive says
        it intends to support the growth of the automotive sector into
        20% of European GDP by 2020, from its current level of 16%,
        laying out a number of financing mechanisms for the sector.</p>
      <p>The document earmarks a share of the planned &#8364;80 billion
        &#8216;Horizon 2020&#8217; research and innovation fund and the &#8364;2.5 billion
        Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs programme, as well as
        support for workers laid off as a result of &#8220;industrial
        adjustment&#8221; in the <a
href="http://www.euractiv.com/specialreport-budget/eu-countries-send-conflicting-si-news-515872">European

          Globalisation Adjustment Fund</a>.</p>
      <p>It also calls for backing from the European Investment Bank.
        &#8220;The Commission will continue working with the EIB in order to
        ensure that financing for automotive research and innovation
        projects is available,&#8221; the document reads.</p>
      <p>But environmental groups have been left unsatisfied by what
        they view as the draft&#8217;s relative lack of focus on van emission
        reductions and consumer awareness.</p>
      <p><strong>&#8216;Regulatory holiday&#8217;</strong></p>
      <p>Greg Archer of Transport &amp; Environment told EurActiv the
        action plan &#8220;fails to implement key opportunities to reduce
        emissions from freight [and] provide consumers with
        understandable reliable information about fuel costs from
        low-carbon vehicles.&#8221;</p>
      <p>In the draft the EU executive bars out a paragraph referring to
        emissions from HDVs - heavy-duty vehicles - as well as
        references to consumer awareness and harmonisation of labels for
        fuel consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p>
      <p>Franziska Achterberg, an EU policy advisor at Greenpeace
        Europe, told EurActiv she thought Tajani was giving too much of
        a &#8220;regulatory break&#8221; to carmakers, saying more emphasis should
        have been put on developing green technologies.</p>
      <p>&#8220;The European industry will only be competitive if it develops
        and markets new environmental technologies,&#8221; she said adding:
        &#8220;This isn&#8217;t going to happen without pressure from regulation&#8221;.</p>
      <p>Tajani has said he wished to impose a regulatory moratorium on
        the car industry to ensure the survival of sector after the
        economic crisis.</p>
      <p>&#8220;The funding is not matched with the right conditions to make
        sure it is going in the right direction,&#8221; she said.</p>
      <p><strong>Smart regulation</strong></p>
      <p>Archer also said the paper &#8220;fails to recognise the benefits of
        smart regulation&#8221;, influencing the EU's ability to grow and
        create jobs.</p>
      <p>But Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive of the European
        Association of Automotive Suppliers, which was involved in
        drafting the document, told EurActiv that this did not
        necessarily mean doing everything that is &#8220;technically
        feasible&#8221;.</p>
      <p>&#8220;You do what is necessary for what will keep [Europe&#8217;s] lead in
        the automotive industry,&#8221; he said, adding he did not think that
        the EU needed to impose regulations on freight.</p>
      <p>Fuel efficiency "is the first purchasing criteria&#8221; for
        commercial vehicles, he said. &#8220;The market pushes for lower fuel
        consumption. &#8220;Will it still be smart regulation if the market
        pushes for it? European trucks are the best worldwide for fuel
        consumption.&#8221;</p>
      <p>He said he supported the regulation proposed by Tajani and that
        the essential &#8216;green&#8217; element - a ceiling of 95g/km of CO<sub>2</sub>
        - was included. &#8220;A cost-benefit analysis&#8230; has found the best
        compromise&#8221;.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="field field-position">
      <div class="field-label">Positions:&nbsp;</div>
      <div class="field-items">
        <div class="field-item odd">
          <p><strong>Niall&nbsp;Carty, a communications manager at the
              F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Internationale de l'Automobile</strong>, told
            EurActiv the car consumer group has &#8220;always pushed for
            ambitious targets&#8221; on green vehicles, believing that they
            will offer the consumer value for money in the long term.</p>
          <p>&#8220;We believe that the 95 [grams of CO<sub>2</sub> per km]
            targets are possible and are proven to be possible&#8221;, he
            said.</p>
          <p>He said studies showed that green technologies could save
            the consumer up to &#8364;800 per year, depending on the price of
            oil.</p>
          <p>When asked about the removal of the paragraphs mentioning
            HDVs Carty said FIA wished to see just as strict targets for
            vans as for cars. He also said&nbsp;FIA was in favour of green
            labelling, which &#8220;provides valuable information about the
            fuel and environmental costs&#8221;.</p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="field field-next-steps">
      <div class="field-label">Next steps:&nbsp;</div>
      <div class="field-items">
        <div class="field-item odd">
          <ul>
            <li> <strong>8 Nov.&nbsp;2012:</strong>&nbsp;The European Commission
              to adopt the &#8220;Cars 2020: Action Plan for a competitive and
              sustainable automotive industry in Europe&#8221;.</li>
          </ul>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">-- 
==========================
Pippa Gallop
Research Co-ordinator
CEE Bankwatch Network
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.bankwatch.org">http://www.bankwatch.org</a>
Skype: pippa.gallop

c/o Zelena akcija
Frankopanska 1 pp.952
10 000 Zagreb
Hrvatska/Croatia
---------------------------- 
</pre>
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