In accordance with Decision (EC) 1753/2000, the Commission shall submit annual reports based on the monitoring of the CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in the EU. This report concerns the monitoring data for 2009.

All Member States have submitted data for new passenger car registrations for 2009. In comparison to the reports in previous years, the aggregated data in this report refer to all fuels (previously only figures with respect to petrol and diesel were reported) and, in contrast to earlier reports, the CO 2 emissions figures are not corrected by 0.7%.

The main observations made in the report are the following:

Average CO 2 emissions from new passenger cars (2009):

the average specific CO 2 emissions of new passenger cars registered in the European Union in 2009 were 145.7 gCO 2 /km . This represents a decrease by 5.1%, or 7.9 gCO 2 /km, from the previous year (153.6 gCO 2 /km in 2008) which is the largest relative drop in specific emissions since the beginning of the monitoring scheme. Some of this reduction may be due to the financial and economic crisis as well as to the design of the scrappage schemes implemented in several Member States;

the data also indicate that there has been some downsizing of the car fleet , as the average engine power, vehicle mass and engine capacity slightly decreased in 2009; diesel powered vehicles improved by nearly 6 grams, petrol powered vehicles improved by almost 9 grams and AFV vehicles by slightly more than 11 grams in 2009. The difference among new diesel and petrol vehicles decreased to around 2.3 grams. It is worth noting that, 10 years ago, there was more than 17 grams difference between new gasoline and diesel vehicles; the proportion of new petrol cars surpassed that of diesel vehicles in 2009. In 2009, the share of AFV increased significantly. This is mostly due to the increase of petrol-LPG vehicles registered in Italy, which itself accounts for 92.8% of all new petrol-LPG passenger cars registered in EU27; the EU15 accounts for the vast majority of new passenger car registrations (94.6% in 2009). New cars in the EU15 are on average emitting 9 gCO 2 /km less than new cars in the EU12 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania). However, it is not clear at this stage if this can be attributed to a permanent behavioural change of citizens in the EU15, or if this is one of the effects of the financial and economic crisis which started in 2008.

Other car characteristics: engine power, engine capacity and mass:

the average engine power of new diesel and petrol powered passenger cars had been increasing until 2007, it remained constant in 2008 and decreased in 2009. The average engine power of petrol powered vehicles decreased by 4 kW and offset the observed growth during last 7 years. Diesel powered vehicles decreased only by 2 kW to the levels of 2006. The 2009 data for the average engine power of AFV confirm the decreasing trend of previous years. The huge influence of petrol-LPG vehicles in Italy is the main driving factor for determining the average engine power of AFV; the average engine capacity of new passenger cars in 2009 has seen a significant drop in 2009 by 83 cm 3 . Petrol powered vehicles observed the highest decrease (by 5% or by 77 cm 3 ). The decrease in engine capacity of diesel powered vehicles is continuing and amounts to 37 cm 3 in 2009 (-2%). The engine size difference between petrol and diesel powered vehicles was decreasing until 2005 when it reached 313 cm 3 and since then it is widening again, and in 2009 the difference reached 378 cm 3 ; the average mass of new passenger cars registered in the EU in 2009 decreased by 36 kg. The difference between petrol and diesel vehicles has been increasing slowly but constantly since 2004 (226 kg) and in 2009 it reached 292 kg. The average mass decreased by 10 kg for diesel vehicles in 2009. On the other hand, new petrol powered vehicles became on average lighter by 22 kg and alternative fuel vehicles by 68 kg. The observed decreases are mainly due to a consumer shift to smaller segments of vehicles (known as A and B segment).

Monitoring data by automobile manufacturers’ associations: i n 2009, CO 2 emissions from new passenger cars decreased for each association. In comparison to 2008, ACEA decreased its average emissions by 7.3 grams, JAMA by 11.2 grams, KAMA by 9.7 grams and other manufacturers on average by 18.4 grams. Both, KAMA and JAMA, had lower average emissions from new passenger cars in 2009 than ACEA while the situation was the reverse in 2007.

When comparing 2009 to 2008, there was an increase of 9.8% in registrations of KAMA, while at the same time the registrations of ACEA and JAMA fell by 2.2% and 7.4% respectively. ACEA is still, by far, the major player on the European market, keeping its share at around 81% of all new registrations for the last 5 years.

The Commission presents its 2008 report on monitoring data for the CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in the EU in accordance with Decision (EC) 1753/2000. The report notes that, in comparison to the reports in previous years, the CO2 emissions figures are not corrected by 0.7%. This correction by 0.7% had been applied in assessing the progress made by the manufacturing associations ACEA, JAMA and KAMA, in order to compensate for a change in the test procedure that took place after their voluntary commitments were made.

Average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars : the average specific CO2 emissions in the year 2008 were 153.5g CO2/km. This is a decrease by 3.3% or 5.2 grams per kilometre from the previous year (158.7g CO2/km in 2007) which is the largest relative drop in specific emissions since the beginning of the monitoring scheme. While some of this reduction may have been due to the onset of the economic crisis, the data indicate that there has not been any substantial downsizing of the car fleet as the average power stayed the same and mass fell only slightly to its 2006 level. Both petrol and diesel vehicles improved by more than 5 grams per kilometre in comparison to the year 2007. Since the year 2000, petrol vehicles improved by 11% while diesel vehicles only by 6%. On the other hand, alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) improved by 34% since year 2000. In 2008 the share of AFV almost doubled since the previous year and AFV are now accounting for 1.3% of new passenger car registrations.

In 2008 the EU15 Member States accounted for the vast majority of new passenger car registrations. The difference between the EU15 and EU10 in CO2 emissions of petrol vehicles decreased from almost 10 grams per kilometre in 2005 to less then 1 gram per kilometre in 2008 – new cars in the EU10 having lower CO2 emissions per kilometre. On the other hand, the average CO2 emissions of the new diesel passenger cars sold in EU15 are lower than those of the new diesel car fleet sold in EU10. While in 2005-2006 new diesel passenger cars in the EU15 were emitting on average 1-2 grams per kilometre more than the EU10, in 2008 new diesel passenger cars in the EU15 were emitting on average more than 4 grams less CO2 per kilometre than new vehicles in the EU10. In total, new passenger cars registered in the EU15 in the year 2008 have lower CO2 emissions than new passenger cars in the EU10 for the first time since the beginning of monitoring the CO2 emissions of new passenger cars.

Engine power and mass : while the average engine power of new passenger cars had been increasing in previous years, it remained constant between the years 2007 and 2008. The average engine power of petrol powered vehicles is seen to increase over time much more slowly than that of diesel vehicles. The 2008 data for the average engine power of AFV are confirming the decreasing trend of previous years. The average mass of new passenger cars decreased for the first time, going back to the level of 2006, after it had been continuously increasing in previous years. The mass decreased only slightly for petrol and diesel vehicles. On the other hand, AFV became lighter on average by 34 kg and their average mass is now very close to that of petrol vehicles.

Monitoring data by association : in year 2008, CO2 emissions from new passenger cars decreased for each association. In comparison to 2007, ACEA decreased its average emissions by 4.7 grams, JAMA by 5.8 grams and KAMA by 10.5 grams. The effect of the current financial crisis and economic downturn can be seen in the lower number of new passenger car registrations for each association in the year 2008. When compared to year 2007, we observe a decrease by 8%. This amount of new passenger car registrations corresponds roughly to the amount of registrations observed 4-5 years ago.

The Commission has presented sixth annual report on the implementation of the Community strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from cars. This report addresses the 2004 monitoring and the reviews that were launched during that year.

The Community’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and improve fuel economy aims at achieving an average specific CO2 emission figure for passenger cars newly registered in the Community of 120 g CO2/km. The EU 15 average value achieved in 2004 was 163 g CO2/km23, compared to 186 g CO2/km in 1995, the reference year of the Community strategy – a reduction of about 12.4 %.

The assessments carried out show that ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association), JAMA (Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association) and KAMA (Korean Automobile Manufacturers Association) have, during the period 1998 to 2004, met all the obligations stated in their Commitments. The car industry has, in doing so, delivered a sizeable contribution to the EU strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to its Kyoto reduction objectives.

In order to meet the final target of the Commitments (140 g CO2/km) all three associations have to substantially increase their efforts. The Commission acknowledges that all three associations have reconfirmed their firm determination to make the best possible efforts to live up to their commitments.

The Commission underlines the importance for the car industry of meeting the 140 g CO2/km target which the Commission considers achievable and to which the industry has committed. It also stresses the need for continued efforts towards technical research, development and demonstration on more efficient propulsion and auxiliary systems (including mobile air conditioning) for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, with a view to achieving lower costs and improved performance, including overall efficiency and durability.

The Commission has decided to carry out in 2005-2006 a review of the Community’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. This review will be carried out under the framework of the European Climate Change and the Commission intends to present a Communication on a revised strategy to the European Parliament and Council in the second half of 2006.

The Commission presented its communication on the implementation of the Community Strategy to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Cars: Fifth annual report on the effectiveness of the strategy (Reporting year 2003).

To recall, the Community’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and improve fuel economy aims at achieving an average specific CO2 emission figure for passenger cars newly registered in the Community of 120 g CO2/km by 2010 at the latest. The specific CO2/km value achieved in the calendar year 2003 was 164 g CO2/km, compared to 186 g CO2/km in 1995, the reference year of the Community strategy – a reduction of about 12 %. The assessments carried out under the “Major Review” and under Article 10 of Decision 1753/2000/EC show that ACEA and JAMA have, during the period 1998 to 2003, met all the obligations stated in their respective Commitments. The car industry has, in doing so, delivered a sizeable contribution to the EU’s strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to its Kyoto reduction objectives.

In order to meet the final target of the Commitments (140 g CO2/km) all three associations have to increase their efforts. Based on the Joint Reports, the Commission has no reason to believe that JAMA would not live up to its commitment. ACEA has met its interim target for 2003 in 2000 and expressed its firm determination to make the best possible efforts to live up to its CO2 Commitment, but could no longer confirm the concluding statement given in the previous reports. The Commission underlines the importance of meeting the target, which is achievable. With regard to KAMA there is a real concern. This has been emphasised to KAMA which, however, has reiterated its determination to achieve the targets to which it has committed.

While the legal transposition of Directive 1999/94 is now completed, work on its effectiveness signals significant shortcomings. It is obvious that measures have to be taken in order to strengthen this pillar, as well as the pillar on fiscal measures, if the Community target of 120 g/km is to be met in 2010.

The position papers presented by ACEA and JAMA in 2003 as the results of their respective reviews on the potential to moving further towards the Community's objective of 120 g CO2/km by 2012 signals that the associations see no possibility to achieve this target in a cost efficient manner by technical measures. The Commission will carry out its own assessment and present to Council and Parliament a proposal in the second half of 2005.

The Commission is continuing its work concerning CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles and on CO2 emissions due to the use of mobile air conditioning.