MEPs back plans for warning labels on car adverts

Brussels vote supports plans for cigarette style warnings, but environmentalists express fury at attempts to water down binding emission reduction targets

MEPs yesterday voted in favour of plans for cigarette-style warning messages detailing vehicles' carbon emissions to be included in car adverts, but also signalled their support for a watering down of proposed emission reduction targets.

The new rules – which were put forward by Lib Dem MP Chris Davies and could shape the European Commission's formal legislative proposals for vehicle carbon emissions when they are released in the next few months – propose that a minimum of 20 per cent of adverts and marketing material should be given over to information on a vehicle's carbon emissions and fuel efficiency.

"Car manufacturers claim they simply respond to consumer demand, but I believe they use advertising to shape consumer demand," said Davies. "The European Parliament has sent a clear message to insist that advertisements give car buyers more details of the fuel economy and emissions performance of the vehicles on sale. The information should be upfront and bold, not buried away in the small print."

The car industry criticised the proposals, insisting it was already governed by stringent advertising rules, included information on carbon emissions and fuel efficiency in adverts, and provided colour-coded information on car emissions in car showrooms

A spokeswoman for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) also warned that the legislation could set a precedent that would have a knock-on effect for all industries.

"If they go through with this then you would have to have similar warnings for all CO2-related products," she argued. "Holidays and computers, for example, would need these warnings. The question is where would it stop?"

However, the SMMT offered a cautious welcome to Davies' proposals for a compromise on planned targets for vehicle emissions that would impose a CO2 emissions goal of 125g/km by 2015.

Frustrated by the car industry's failure to meet voluntary CO2 emission targets of 140g/km, the European Commission had proposed legally binding targets of 120g/km by 2012, before watering down the target to 130g/km. The European Parliament's Environmental Committee subsequently criticised the new target urging the Commission to impose legally binding targets of 120g/km by 2012.

Davies said that his proposal – which was backed by a large majority of MEPs – represented a workable compromise between the car industry and law makers that would "set ambitious targets but also to give the industry sufficient time to make the design changes at least possible cost".

Under his proposals, manufacturers would have to meet the targets without resorting to "non-technical" innovations in biofuels and tyres and would face fines if they exceed the emissions limits. A trading mechanism called the Carbon Allowances Reductions Systems would see financial penalties offset by credits for cars that came in below the emissions targets.

The SMMT welcomed the proposals but argued that a more integrated approach was required to limit carbon emissions, which included green taxes, traffic management measures and biofuels.

But lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E) branded the vote a U-turn, arguing that the new targets were 40 per cent weaker than the original target of 120g/km by 2012 and still 20 per cent weaker than the current commission proposal of 130g/km by 2012.

"Making cars more fuel efficient is one of the most important steps Europe can take to cut emissions, reduce oil dependency and cut fuel costs, yet MEPs seem to have lost their nerve," said Aat Peterse of T&E. "As the report is non-binding, it's now up to the European Commission to ensure car makers stick to the 13-year-old 120g/km target when they announce a legal proposal later this year."