EU negotiators on Monday evening (17 December) agreed on CO2 emission rules for cars and vans, as the Austrian presidency of the EU defied expectations and brokered a compromise.

But the deal has already been branded as both “insufficient” by green campaigners and “unrealistic” by the car industry.

According to an agreement reached by the European Parliament and the 28 EU member states late last night, CO2 emissions from new cars will have to decrease by 37.5% by 2030 and 31% for vans.

The European Commission had originally proposed a 30% reduction rate for both vehicle types, while Parliament went in search of 40% cuts.

The target will be calculated based on 2021 emission levels, with an intermediary step of 15% CO2 cut for both cars and vans to be reached by 2025.

Commission energy chiefs welcomed the deal. Miguel Arias Cañete called the new benchmarks “ambitious targets” and said “Europe is once again showing how to turn the Paris Agreement and COP24 into action”.

Nations agree on Paris Agreement rulebook, fail on climate ambition Three years and three days after the Paris Agreement was adopted, the 197 signatory countries gathered in Katowice, Poland, agreed Saturday (15 December) on a rulebook for its implementation but failed to raise their ambition to keep global warming “well below 2°C”.

Energy Union boss Maroš Šefčovič called it a “credible step in the implementation of the Paris Agreement but also another decisive step in support of the long-term competitiveness of European industry, as this will spur investment into the EU value chain, including batteries and other key technologies”.

Last night’s agreement draws a line under what have been bumpy talks between negotiators, as clear divisions quickly appeared over how strict the limits should be.

Germany showed its cards first by backing the Commission’s 30% proposal, in what was seen as a clear attempt to protect its massive car sector from disruption. Germany warned tough targets and the drive towards more electric cars could harm its €423 billion auto industry and cost jobs.

But more progressive nations like the Netherlands and France came out fighting for more.

“This is an important signal in our fight against climate change,” said current EU president Austria’s Sustainability Minister Elisabeth Koestinger.

Germany selects lower gear, supports 30% CO2 car cuts Germany’s environment ministry revealed on Wednesday (26 September) that the Bundesrepublik will back an EU-wide 30% CO2 cut for cars and vans – lower than expected by green NGOs – ahead of an important vote in the European Parliament next week.

Austria’s presidency of the EU attracted heavy criticism from policymakers and activists in equal measure for its failure to broker a deal earlier in the year.

EU sources had told EURACTIV that the presidency failed to change its compromise proposals between trilateral talks and that there was a danger that no agreement would be reached before the end of the year.

But enough common ground was found to agree on the overall targets, limiting double counting of plug-in hybrids and setting up a system that will ensure emission reductions on the road match those in the lab.

MEPs had wanted to introduce a penalty for carmakers that miss their targets but that fell by the wayside during the talks. Marques that do not mass produce vehicles will be exempt from the rules until 2028.

Now MEPs and the Council will have to sign off on the agreement. Talks are ongoing on the EU’s first attempt to regulate CO2 emissions for heavy vehicles, although there are still doubts that there will be a final deal before the European elections in May 2019.

MEPs keep on trucking, back higher CO2 targets Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday (14 November) to beef up a first attempt to regulate CO2 emissions from heavy vehicles, going beyond what the European Commission originally proposed.