Editorial by Karsten Krause
China, China, China. It seems to be the golden rule that, within 10 minutes of any discussion about legislating on automotive standards, at least one reference to the situation in China is necessary. Whatever the topic, or whatever point is being made, a juicy story from the Far East helps. And the message is: automotive legislation in Europe makes no difference because of the situation in China.
The EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas is reported to be furious with the Commission president José Manuel Barroso over the EU’s commitment to sustainability.
The decision by the German car maker Daimler Chrysler to do field trials of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) looks set to be a breakthrough in the battle to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel cars.
The EU transport commissioner Jacques Barrot has called for an “urgent rebalancing of road and rail” after the latest fire in a road tunnel through the Alps.
The Commission has published proposals to abolish vehicle registration taxes and replace them with a harmonised EU tax based on a vehicle’s carbon dioxide emissions.
T&E has written to the EU transport commissioner Jacques Barrot expressing concern at statements he made last month suggesting that decoupling economic growth from transport growth could endanger the Lisbon strategy on economic competitiveness.
Editorial by Jos Dings
Well at least it is very clear now. In the February Bulletin we had a headline: “This Commission seems no friend of the environment” – the word “seems” can now be replaced by “is”. A classic 1½-page letter by the employers’ federation Unice to the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso was enough to delay badly needed EU follow-up air quality laws.
A number of companies in the British aviation industry have formed an alliance with the stated aim of improving air travel’s impact on the environment.
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