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A Cleaner Planet Later Rather Than Sooner
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A Cleaner Planet Later Rather Than Sooner
Geoff Maxted
DriveWrite
November 27, 2013
Whatever your views on climate change it is not unreasonable to try and go along with the idea that cleaner is better. We are constantly cajoled to this green and pleasant end and also taxed for it, moreover. We have just experienced the unedifying news that in private our PM wants to ‘get rid of all the green crap’ and it seems that the EU in their wisdom are happy to delay it too after Germany said ‘Nein’.
The European Union has agreed on an inevitable compromise to enforce stricter rules on CO²emissions for cars sold in the region thus ending months of wrangling after Germany insisted that an earlier deal be discarded. The new outline agreement delays 100% implementation of a limit of 95g/km for all new cars until 2021 from a previous deadline of 2020.
It also changes the rules on flexibility, giving more leeway to German premium carmakers such as Daimler and BMW whose emissions are higher than those of Fiat, which makes smaller, lighter cars. So, ‘one rule for you…’ then.
The deal will be presented to a meeting of EU diplomats on Friday (presumably before lunch as it’s POETS Day), with a view to getting their agreement. It would then have to be signed off by member state governments and the European Parliament.
Provided it is signed into law, it will conclude six months of acrimony over what other member states saw as heavy-handed negotiating tactics from Germany where Guv’nor, Angela Merkel’s party receives money from BMW. She took up the cause of the big German carmakers, declaring she was protecting German jobs, and persuaded other EU states to agree to scrap an agreement on 2020 emissions targets that was reached in June. German pressure has accordingly won some of the concessions it sought.
Car manufacturer’s have really worked hard to comply with regulations before they arrive and it probably doesn’t help them if the goalposts keep moving. The one thing that is certain however is that whatever green rules or taxes that apply to British motorists won’t ever be compromised, delayed or lowered!
Cynical? Me? You bet.
