Foto: Volvo Trucks
The Council of the European Union has formally adopted the Regulation on CO₂ emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, amending and tightening the current EU rules. The updated rules will further reduce CO₂ emissions from road transport and set new targets for 2030, 2035 and 2040. The new regulations maintain the existing target for 2025, which currently aims to reduce emissions by 15% for heavy goods vehicles with a total weight of more than 16 tons. In line with the EU’s climate targets for 2030 and beyond, the regulation sets the following new targets:
These targets will apply from 2035 for medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty trucks over 7.5 tons and coaches, as well as for corresponding work vehicles. The new rules introduce a 100% zero emissions target for new urban buses by 2035, with an interim target of 90% for this vehicle category by 2030. Intercity buses are excluded from this, as they are considered to be coaches for the purposes of measuring emission reductions. The effectiveness and impact of the amended regulation will be reviewed by the Commission in 2027. Among other things, the Commission will also have to examine the possibility of developing a common methodology to assess and report CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle of new heavy-duty vehicles.
Next steps
The Regulation will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication. The effectiveness and impact of the amended Regulation will be reviewed by the Commission in 2027. Among other things, the Commission will also have to examine the possibility of developing a common methodology for assessing and reporting CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle of new heavy-duty vehicles.
Background
The heavy-duty sector accounts for more than 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in the EU. In 2019, CO₂ emission standards for certain heavy-duty vehicles were set for the first time – with targets for the years 2025 to 2029 and for the period from 2030 onwards – with a review of the regulation to be carried out in 2022. On February 14, 2023, the Commission presented a proposal to revise the CO₂ emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. This revision is part of the “Fit for 55” legislative package. The updated rules contribute to the EU’s goal of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
