On 5 July 2025, the European Commission launched a public consultation aimed at approving a proposal to simplify and reduce the regulatory burdens of Regulation (EU) 2019/631, concerning CO2 emission standards for passenger cars.
Regulation (EU) 2019/631 has contributed to reducing the EU’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, with a significant impact on consumers’ energy bills. As highlighted in the Communication “A Compass for EU Competitiveness” and in the Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector, the automotive industry is at a critical turning point and must urgently regain a leading position in the transition towards more sustainable vehicles.
The proposal seeks to establish a stable and predictable framework that provides certainty for the necessary investments in the EU automotive sector, strengthening CO2 emission standards for passenger cars. These standards have already given investors across the value chain long-term security and predictability, allowing sufficient time for a just transition.
The automotive industry is a key sector of the European Union’s economy, accounting for €1 trillion of GDP and generating, directly and indirectly, around 13 million jobs.
The sector has been undergoing a structural transformation at an unprecedented pace, creating an additional need to adjust the rules applicable to car manufacturers so that, in the long term, they can comply with CO2 emission standards for passenger cars.
The automotive industry requires a stable regulatory framework that enables confident investment in the development of zero-emission technologies. Such regulatory predictability is essential to anticipate change and to support the requalification of the sector’s workforce.
The revision of the Regulation on CO2 emission standards for passenger cars, which was announced in the Political Guidelines for the 2024–2029 Commission and in the mission letter to Commissioner Hoekstra, will take into account the achievement of climate neutrality by 2035 for cars. This goal will require a technologically neutral approach, in which e-fuels will play an important role in ensuring an economically viable and socially fair transition, enabling zero-emission mobility.
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