Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-16-Speech-2-431"
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"en.20081216.40.2-431"2
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"−
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we have ‘saved the best for last’, as they say. This report was the first to be finished, exactly two weeks ago, and strangely enough it is the last to be debated.
First of all and quite sincerely I must thank everyone who has worked on this report, particularly the delegation, among many, from the French Presidency. I too would like to mention Mr Léglise-Costa, who led this initiative with great professionalism. Together we have found an intelligent solution to the issue, at perhaps the most difficult time imaginable, that is to say when the motor industry is in the throes of an appalling crisis.
On close examination, this result was by no means a foregone conclusion, not least considering how this report’s journey began, with all the controversy when the Commission adopted the corresponding proposal last December. Yet we have succeeded not only in seeing it through, but also in achieving three things at once: we have stepped up our efforts, enhanced our strategy and introduced greater flexibility.
I say we have stepped up our efforts because, as you know, the priority proposed by Parliament has been agreed; that is to say, a long-term reduction target has been included, of 95 grams of CO
per kilometre by 2020. This is obviously important because it brings this sector into line with others covered by other legislative instruments such as the emissions trading scheme, but also, and above all, because it allows companies to plan their investment, innovation and research accordingly, which I believe is crucial at this difficult time.
Secondly, I say we have enhanced our strategy for the reasons that Mrs Corbey explained a short while ago: we have in fact helped to shape the future by encouraging eco-innovations and subjecting them to rigorous controls; we have encouraged research into new engines, or new fuels, shall we say; and we have introduced a system of super credits for vehicles with exceptionally low emissions. This opens up a strategic outlook that will, of course, hinge on the review in 2015 of the testing systems used to produce accurate and credible measurements of how much the various technologies help to reduce emissions.
Finally, we have introduced greater flexibility, as I said, because, as we have managed to strengthen the regulation, it has been possible, reasonable and fair to allow businesses to take a gradual approach, phasing in the new measures between 2012 and 2015. At the same time, as you will be aware, we have reformulated the procedures in such a way that they still enable us to persuade companies to make investments that will put them in a position to meet their own specific reduction targets, while at the same time facilitating their transition to the new system.
I would like to say again how pleased I am with this proposal; it is, I believe, a great work of industrial policy. It is shame that we do not have the power or all the tools we need to be able to intervene with other instruments or other levers, and I hope that under the Commission’s coordination all the Member States will adopt intelligent policies to encourage demand, using forms of eco-taxation, for instance, as the French Government has done for its part, in order to prevent any distortion of competition. This would be an extremely useful additional measure in terms of replacing existing, obsolete vehicles, while permitting more efficient cars to be placed on the market on a large scale.
I hope that today we will also have the pleasure of finding out the Commission’s opinion on this compromise, since up to now it has not been stated officially."@en1
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