BRUSSELS, March 3 (KUNA) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that the Commission would give European car manufacturers "breathing space" and more time to meet the 2025 emissions reduction targets without facing fines.
Von der Leyen announced at the second meeting of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry that there is a "clear demand for more flexibility on CO2 targets. Instead of annual compliance, companies will get three years." However, she emphasized that companies will still be required to "meet" the same targets to achieve the Commission's goal of transitioning to clean mobility.
The EC President added that "an agreement has been reached to establish and support an industrial alliance" that will enable companies to pool resources and develop shared software, chips, and autonomous driving technologies.
Von der Leyen promised that the EU will improve testing and deployment rules and will also help launch large-scale autonomous driving trials. "Because the goal is very simple: we must accelerate putting autonomous vehicles on Europe's roads," she said, noting that the Commission will present these priority actions as part of an Action Plan for Steel and Metals, which will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday. (end) arn.gb