The Council of the European Union has formally adopted a targeted amendment to the regulation on CO₂ emission standards for new passenger cars and vans, introducing a key change in how manufacturers’ compliance with 2025 emissions targets will be assessed.
Under the revised regulation, emissions compliance for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027 will be calculated as an average across the three-year period, rather than on an annual basis. This change is intended to provide automotive manufacturers with greater flexibility in meeting their fleet-wide CO₂ reduction obligations.
The move marks the final step in the legislative process and follows the European Commission’s call for urgent action as part of its Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector, unveiled on 5 March 2025. The plan was designed to give the industry regulatory certainty in the face of increasing pressure to decarbonise.
The amended regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
