Critique of the regulatory limitations of exhaust CO2 emissions from passenger cars in European union

Transport is the second emitter of CO2 in the European Union, after the energy production sector, with constantly increased trend. European Union proposed the regulation 443/2009 to control the CO2 emissions from new passenger cars. According to that regulation, the average, for each car manufacturer, CO2 emissions of the new passenger cars registered in 2020 in European Union should not exceed the value of 95 g CO2/km on the New European Driving Cycle. In the present work the regulation 443/2009 is analyzed and a critique is addressed to four points. The first point concerns the average upper limit of CO2 emissions of each car manufacturer. The second point concerns the possible derogation for the low volume manufacturers and the third to the penalties for the extra CO2 emissions. The fourth point concerns the value of the proposed average upper limit of CO2 emissions and the possibility to be changed in the future. A change to the above points is proposed. The maximum decrease of CO2 emissions and the principle of equality of citizens are the two principles of our propositions for the CO2 regulations.

► A critique is made on four points of the regulation 443/2009. ► A new proposition is made based on the principle of equity of all EU citizens and the maximum decrease of CO2 emissions. ► Our proposition is based on the principle of the same CO2 emissions of all new passenger cars. ► The regulation must not have any derogations or penalties.