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Lobbying by car industry weakens 2020 action plan

The European Commission has gone back on a series of commitments to reduce the environmental impacts of road vehicles. T&E says the climbdown carries the fingerprints of lobbying by the automotive industry, but will not help Europe’s car makers in the long term.

Tyre label has vital lessons for fuel efficiency in road and air transport

Opinion by Nina Renshaw - T&E deputy director There aren’t many downsides to working at T&E, but if I have to name one, it is that we don’t often have the joy of seeing the fruits of our work in the real world. Mostly you don’t see less energy use or fewer emissions, and you see even fewer economic incentives at work when walking around town. So 1 November will be a rare moment.

Safer and more aerodynamic lorries on the way

The Commission has given a hint of its forthcoming draft directive on weights and dimensions that will be published early next year. It says the guiding principle behind it will be fuel efficiency, and T&E has welcomed what is likely to be a boost for lorries that are safer and cleaner.

Traffic noise ‘compromise’ written by Porsche

An attempt to find a compromise on updating noise limits for vehicles has been postponed after it became clear the draft text put forward in the European Parliament had been written by Porsche. The amendment would have weakened existing standards that have been in force for 15 years.

Megatrucks decision raises doubts, says MEP

Sketch of some documents (default image for news

The decision by the EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas to allow so-called ‘megatrucks’ to cross EU borders raises doubts about whether the Commission takes its role as the guardian of EU treaties seriously.

Potential for cutting lorry emissions

A study commissioned by the International Council on Clean Transportation says using low-resistance tyres, aerodynamic devices and lower weights can improve the fuel efficiency of lorries by between 4% and 10%.

Commission reinterpretation on megatrucks is ‘undemocratic’ and ‘creates confusion’

EU rules governing the length and weight of lorries have been thrown into confusion by a unilateral ‘reinterpretation’ of an EU directive by the transport commissioner Siim Kallas. The commissioner’s move appears to abandon all length limits and opens the way for so-called ‘megatrucks’. A senior MEP has rejected the commissioner’s ‘reinterpretation’ and says the European Parliament is likely to challenge the decision, while T&E has described it as ‘undemocratic, confusing and incomprehensible’.

MEPs could be voting to make vehicles louder

Research carried out for T&E suggests there is a danger that new rules aimed at making vehicles quieter will in fact make them louder for the next 15 years.

MEPs urged to end EU’s ‘deafening silence’ on traffic noise

The fight against traffic noise is being directed at MEPs, as the European Parliament’s environment committee prepares for a vital vote in July. T&E and two other Brussels-based NGOs have published an internet video highlighting the problem, while a report for T&E published last month showed the benefits of ambitious vehicle noise legislation would outweigh the costs by 30 times.

Swedish lorry move shows Brussels ‘hasn’t thought this through’

With the battle over whether oversized lorries, known as ‘megatrucks’, should be allowed to cross EU national borders, an extension of the fight is now emerging as Sweden has given the green light for even longer lorries to operate between Göteborg and Malmö. T&E is worried that the Commission’s proposed ‘reinterpretation’ of existing weights and dimensions rules for lorries would effectively leave Europe with no limits at all.

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