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EU Ministers assuage IRU EU emissions fears

[ June 30, 2022   //   Chris ]

The International Road transport Union (IRU) has applauded EU Environment Ministers’ decision to set the start date for the new EU Emissions Trading System (ETS II) to 2028, which it said was more realistic than the Parliament’s and original European Commission proposal.
It added that the European Council also understood its concerns over multiple taxation and charging and acted accordingly.
Last week, the IRU had deplored the European Parliament’s decision to extend the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS II) to road transport and buildings.
It described the scheme as impractical and not fit for purpose.
IRU’s EU advocacy director Raluca Marian said: “The road transport sector is concerned about the very real risk of an increased cost base, without any return and without any realistic chance to shift to zero-emission vehicles any time soon.”
IRU is calling instead for a gradual introduction of the ETS, aligned with technology and charging infrastructure developments, the avoidance of multiple taxation/charging for CO2 emissions and the reinvestment of revenues earned from ETS for road back into the road transport sector to help it decarbonise; and the inclusion of both private and commercial road users.
IRU believes that the European Council’s recent watering down of EU ambitions on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure is a clear signal that the shift to zero-emission heavy duty vehicles is not a priority for EU Member States. It says that the inclusion of road transport in ETS will lead to an extra charge, without serving as a decarbonisation incentive to transport operators, as long as zero emission alternatives are unavailable.
However it added that a fixed launch in 2028 may still not be ideal

Tags: IRU