Germany has been fighting back against a new EU law that would limit carmakers’ average CO2 output to 95 g/km by 2020, as it claims to do so in an interest to protect its premium automakers, and keeping its automotive sector strong. The bill was welcomed by the continent’s green activists, but not so much by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who already voiced her disapproval for the adoption of the law, back in June.
Now we have reports that the Germans have succeeded in convincing the environment ministers from the 28 union member states bringing forth the disappointment of EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard.
Hedegaard said that “it is not a terrific thing that we could not conclude on cars,” adding that it would have been preferable for the plan to go ahead as is, and not be pushed back the four years requested by the continent’s leading industrial power.
Apparently, the general consensus is that Germany is holding back the entire continent, and according to Euractiv, “many member states have voiced unease at the manner in which Berlin blocked the deal.”
One of those countries is Sweden, which through its Environmental Minister, Lena Ek, made its stance clear, by commenting that Germany will have a “very heavy responsibility” to bear for their chosen course of actions.
We will follow this story up when more information appears.
By Andrei Nedelea
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