- The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.9 million people, is heavily dependent on car production and exports to other EU countries.
The Czech government said on Friday it would pressure the EU to review emissions rules ahead of the plan, saying tougher rules would harm the competitiveness of the European car sector.
The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.9 million people, is heavily dependent on car production and exports to other EU countries.
The country's three big car plants – Volkswagen's Skoda Auto, Toyota and Hyundai – are expected to produce about 1.4 million cars in 2023 and make up about 10 percent of its gross domestic product.
Prague will urge the EU to move up a planned review of its CO2 rules from 2026 to 2025, Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka told reporters.
“We also need to change the (emissions) limit for 2025,” Kupka said. He said that EU rules are not in line with market conditions.
“Sales of electric cars are falling … even though the EU had predicted growth and based its emissions limits on it,” Kupka said.
He said sanctions for failure to comply would prevent carmakers from investing in development, putting them at a disadvantage to rivals in China or the United States.
Kupka said Prague would invite ministers and European Parliament members from other EU countries to support the campaign.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) also last month asked Brussels to “come forward with urgent relief measures before the new CO2 targets for cars and vans come into force in 2025”.
Europe is racing to produce more electric cars as part of its green transition, with an EU deadline to phase out the sale of fossil fuel-burning cars by 2035 approaching.
But after years of growth, electric car sales began to decline in late 2023, and now account for just 12.5 percent of new cars sold on the continent.
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First publication date: 06 October 2024, 08:50 AM IST