Opinion by our Director, Jos Dings
A new year has come, full of new challenges and opportunities. Fortunately, for now, Europe seems to have averted the worst emergencies. This should allow for some less ad-hoc and more strategic thinking about recipes to get ourselves out of the woods.
The current Commission is on track to have one of the worst-ever environmental records of any EU administration. That is the view of the group of 10 Brussels-based environmental NGOs (‘Green 10’), whose mid-term assessment of José Manuel Barroso’s second Commission says it would not win any medals and is acting to protect the environment even less than his first Commission (2005-09).
Research by the respected Dutch consultancy CE Delft has shown that carbon dioxide emissions from road transport could be reduced by 30% if motorway speed limits in the Netherlands were set at 80 km/h.
MEPs, the Commission and officials of member states have agreed a labelling scheme for new tyres that T&E says is a step forward but much will now depend on national authorities being strict on implementing the scheme.
The Commission has rejected several suggestions by MEPs to make the forthcoming revised EU law on tyre labelling easier for the public to understand.
Editorial by Jos Dings, Director
There’s an old joke that says the EU would not be allowed to be a member of itself. This is because it insists that all member states must have parliaments whose workings are open to the public, but the EU’s main decision-making body, the Council of Ministers, meets behind closed doors.
Measures to cut fuel consumption and noise through better tyres have moved a step closer, and must now await next month's European Parliament elections.
Motorists should soon be able to get more information on which tyres cut their fuel consumption, which improve their safety and which are quieter, following a vote in the European Parliament's industry committee last month.
MEPs have voted to delay action on vehicle tyre performance that will reduce noise and improve fuel efficiency. Agreement had been reached that would make some progress, but a plenary vote means the introduction of new tyres could be delayed for 14 years.
Lorries cause vastly more environmental damage and congestion than their share of Europe’s road vehicles leads people to believe, according to a report for T&E that has been published as the EU debates a controversial revision of the Eurovignette directive.