IP/09/503
Brussels, 30 March 2009
Commission welcomes today's decision of the Council to adopt a new Directive on clean vehicles used by public authorities
Today, the Council of Ministers adopted a new Directive promoting clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles that are in use by public authorities. The Directive aims to stimulate the market for clean and efficient vehicles and to prompt developments and investments by the industry. Increased sales will help reduce costs through economies of scale and will result in progressive improvement in the energy and environmental performance of the whole vehicle fleet. The new measures extend to all purchases of road transport vehicles by public authorities or by transport operators charged with public service obligations.
The Directive requires that energy and environmental impacts linked to the operation of vehicles over their whole lifetime are taken into account in purchase decisions. These lifetime impacts of vehicles shall include at least energy consumption, CO2 emissions and emissions of the regulated pollutants of NOx (nitrogen oxide), NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) and particulate matter. Purchasers may also consider other environmental impacts.
Taking into account these "external" costs in vehicle purchase decisions will contribute to the environment, climate and energy policies of the Community by reducing energy consumption, CO2 and pollutant emissions.
Two options are offered to meet the requirements: setting technical specifications for energy and environmental performance, or including energy and environmental impacts as award criteria in the purchasing procedure.
If the impacts are monetised for inclusion in the purchasing decision, common rules shall be followed, as defined in the Directive, for calculating the lifetime costs linked to the operation of vehicles.
To facilitate the implementation process, the Commission has launched today an internet site on clean and energy efficient vehicles. It includes a legislation guide, a lifetime calculator, information on joint procurement and references to Community funded projects in the field.
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/urban/vehicles/clean_energy_efficient_vehicles_en.htm
