EU car-emissions vote adds measurement reforms

The European Parliament backed a 100% CO2-reduction target for new cars and vans in 2035 on 14 February. This was Parliament’s first-reading vote, not final enactment.

Photo: European flags. © Håkan Dahlström, Spain, 2010 (CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons). Resized and cropped. Historical EU illustration, not the vote.

Its position also calls for a lifecycle-reporting methodology by the end of 2025 and voluntary manufacturer reporting from June 2026. Separately, it seeks a methodology for potentially adjusting manufacturers’ average emissions from 2030 using real-world data.

These tracks address different questions: the fleet target sets the destination, while reporting checks how emissions are assessed. Lifecycle reporting doesn’t replace the fleet standard. The new-vehicle scope doesn’t require scrapping existing cars. The position also includes a 2026 review and exceptions for small manufacturers.

Sources: European Parliament record.