The European Parliament adopted, by 445 votes to 152 with 30 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 as regards strengthening the CO ₂ emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and integrating reporting obligations, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/956.

The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for inter-institutional negotiations.

CO2 emission reduction targets for heavy-duty vehicles

Parliament recalled that heavy-duty vehicles are currently responsible for more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in the Union and for over 6% of Union's total greenhouse gas emissions, more than those from aviation or maritime transport. The EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy aims for a 90% reduction in the transport sector’s emissions by 2050, including hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and maritime transport.

Strengthening CO2 emission reduction requirements for heavy-duty vehicles and rolling-out the necessary recharging and refuelling infrastructure will play a key role in reducing the emissions of the entire heavy-duty vehicles fleet to achieve economy-wide climate-neutrality at the very latest by 2050.

Members called for strong CO2 emissions reduction targets for medium and heavy trucks, including vocational vehicles (such as garbage trucks, tippers or concrete mixers) and buses. The targets would be 45% for the period 2030-2034, 65% for 2035-2039 and 90% as of 2040.

Urban buses

Members backed the Commission's proposal that all new urban buses in the EU should be zero-emission (100% share of zero-emission vehicles) from 2030. They propose a temporary exemption (until 2035) for urban buses fuelled by biomethane , under strict conditions.

To benefit from this exemption, the vehicles should be fuelled by biomethane produced from a virtuous waste treatment process, such as the treatment of slurry, urban waste and urban wastewater, which must be guaranteed by certificates of origin.

Members also introduced provisions to ensure sustainable and resilient supply chains for urban buses through public procurement procedures.

Additional measures

By 6 months from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission should adopt a delegated act to harmonise the type-approval rules for vehicles with internal combustion engines converted to zero-emission vehicles as defined under this Regulation, in order to allow for series approval. By 30 June 2024, the Commission should present a legislative proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council to increase the share of zero-emission heavy-duty motor vehicles owner or leased by large fleet operators.

Zero-Emission HDVs Forum

Members proposed that as soon as the regulation enters into force, the European Commission should convene a ‘Zero-Emission HDV’ forum, which should be composed of representatives from public charging stations operators, electricity transmission system operators, long-haul transporters, urban logistic operators, public transport operators, civil society organisations, Member States and manufacturers, in order to work together on the effective and cost-efficient roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure in view of the increased CO2 emissions reduction target set out in this draft regulation.

Methodology for registration of heavy-duty vehicles running exclusively on CO2 neutral fuels

Members introduced a definition of ‘ CO2 neutral fuels ’. Following consultation with stakeholders, at the latest by one year from the date of the entry into force of the amending Regulation, the Commission should develop a methodology for registering heavy-duty vehicles running exclusively on CO2 neutral fuels for compliance purposes in conformity with Union law and with the Union’s climate-neutrality objective.

Assessment and reporting

The Commission should, not later than 31 December 2027, review the effectiveness and impact of this Regulation and submit a report assessing in particular:

- the number of registrations of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles in Member States;

- the progress made in deployment of charging and refuelling infrastructure suitable for heavy-duty vehicles in Member States;

- considerations of heavy-duty vehicles and vehicle combinations taking into account weights and dimensions applicable to national transport, for example modular and intermodal concepts, while also assessing possible transport safety and efficiency aspects, intermodal, environmental, infrastructural and rebound effects as well as the geographical situation of Member States;

- impacts on employment, especially on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the effectiveness of measures to support retraining and upskilling of the workforce, and the importance of an economically viable and socially fair transition towards zero-emission road mobility;

- the impacts of establishing minimum energy efficiency thresholds for new zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles placed on the Union market;

- the impacts of ensuring that special purpose, off-road and off-road special vehicles are subject to CO2 emissions reduction targets.

The Commission should by 31 December 2026 publish a report assessing the possibility of developing a common Union methodology for the assessment, and the consistent data reporting, of the full lifecycle CO2 emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles that are placed on the Union market.

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 as regards strengthening the CO ₂ emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and integrating reporting obligations, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/956.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Definitions

The report included the definition of ‘Extra Heavy Combination lorry’ or ‘EHC lorry’ to mean a category N3 vehicle suitable for usage in a vehicle combination.

Stricter overall target for 2035

Members called for strong CO2 emissions reduction targets for medium and heavy trucks, including vocational vehicles (such as garbage trucks, tippers or concrete mixers) and buses. These targets would be set at 44% for the period 2030-2034, 70% for 2035-2039 (compared to 65% proposed by the Commission) and 90% as of 2040.

Exclusions

While agreeing that all new registered urban buses should be zero-emission vehicles from 2030. They added the possibility for member states to request a temporary exemption (until 2035) for urban buses fuelled by biomethane, under strict conditions linked to the presence of refuelling infrastructure and to the fuel’s origin.

Zero-Emission HDVs Forum

Members proposed that as soon as the regulation enters into force, the European Commission should convene a ‘Zero-Emission HDV’ forum, which should be composed of representatives from public charging stations operators, electricity transmission system operators, long-haul transporters, urban logistic operators, public transport operators, civil society organisations, Member States and manufacturers, in order to work together on the effective and cost-efficient roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure in view of the increased CO2 emissions reduction target set out in this draft regulation.

The forum will allow for consultation to ensure that charging infrastructure is available and accessible at an affordable cost. It will also provide for a constructive dialogue with a view to the revision of the alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) Regulation in 2026, to align the AFIR’s goals with the new CO2 emission reduction standards for HDVs.

Review

The Commission should by 31 December 2026 publish a report assessing the possibility of developing a common Union methodology for the assessment, and the consistent data reporting, of the full lifecycle CO2 emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles that are placed on the Union market.

PURPOSE: to provide new emission standards to reduce CO ₂ emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) and contribute to the shift to zero-emission mobility in the broader context of increased EU climate ambition by 2030 and EU climate neutrality by 2050.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) CO2 Standards Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 was adopted and entered into force in 2019. It sets new binding CO2 targets starting to apply from the year 2025 onwards. An evaluation of the effective application of these provisions is not possible at this stage. However, a revision is necessary in order to bring the Regulation in line with the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the strengthened emission reduction targets of the European Climate Law.

Heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, city buses and long-distance buses, are responsible for more than 25% of GHG emissions from road transport in the EU and account for over 6% of total EU GHG emissions. These emissions continue to increase, especially in freight transport. This upward curve is mainly driven by growing road transport demand, which is expected to keep increasing in the future.

Therefore, stronger CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles are key to drive down CO2 emissions in the sector and improve air quality. The Commission's proposal will strengthen the CO2 standards from 2030 onwards and extend the scope to almost all vehicles with certified CO2 emissions, to help reach the EU's commitment to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

CONTENT: the Commission is proposing to revise Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 setting CO2 performance standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). The proposal will ensure that CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles are reduced, will provide benefits for transport operators and users in terms of air quality and reduction of energy consumption, and will strengthen the technological and innovation leadership of the automotive value chain.

Subject matter and objectives

The new proposal lays down the requirements for the reporting of CO ₂ emissions from and fuel consumption of new heavy-duty vehicles registered in the Union.

Its specific objectives are to:

- reduce CO2 emissions from HDV, cost-effectively, in line with the EU climate goals, while contributing to improve EU energy security;

- provide benefits for European transport operators and users, most of which are SMEs, resulting from wider deployment of more energy-efficient vehicles;

- strengthen the technological and innovation leadership industry in the EU by channelling investments into zero-emission technologies.

Scope

The proposal expands the scope of application of the Regulation to include trailers, including now trailers, urban buses, coaches and other types of lorries. Vehicles designed and constructed or adapted for use by civil protection, fire services and forces responsible for maintaining public order are not subject to the CO2emissions targets.

Manufacturers who produce less than 100 vehicles per year are also exempt from the CO ₂ emissions targets.

CO2 emission targets

The new proposal lays down how much the specific CO ₂ emissions of the Union fleet of new heavy-duty motor vehicles should be reduced in certain years and defines how such targets are allocated to the HDV sub-groups.

More specifically, the average CO2 emissions of the Union fleet of new heavy-duty motor vehicles, other than special purpose, off-road, off-road special purpose, and vocational vehicles such as mobile cranes, forestry or agricultural vehicles, should be reduced by the following percentages compared to the average CO2 emissions of the reporting period of the year 2019:

- 45% from 1 January 2030;

- 65% from 1 January 2035;

- 90% from 1 January 2040 onwards.

New city buses in the EU will all have to be zero emissions (100% share of zero-emission vehicles) as of 2030.

It will be for manufacturers to decide which technologies they use to achieve these targets, e.g. electrification, hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen in internal combustion vehicles.

The zero- and low-emission incentive scheme

The proposal amends the Regulation to end the zero- and low-emission incentive scheme in 2029. This scheme will end in 2029 as it is no longer considered necessary after that time as an incentive to promote the market entrance of zero-emission vehicles.

Monitoring and reporting

The proposal sets out new obligations for Member States to monitor and report certain data on the new heavy-duty vehicles. Manufacturers and other entities are obliged to monitor and report certain data on the new heavy-duty vehicles.

New provisions have been included concerning the obligation for the Commission to keep and update a central register and for it to monitor the results of on-road verification tests .

Review

The proposal suggested a review of the proposed Regulation in 2028.