Europeans are entitled to cleaner air

With the “Clean Mobility Package”, the European Commission is presenting a package of measures intended to make European transport cleaner and more competitive. However, MEP Mark Demesmaeker is of the opinion that the Commission displays too little ambition in reducing the CO2 emissions of vehicles. The result of this is that the climate goals are put in jeopardy.

A stricter CO2 standard can boost innovation

Europe has its eye on CO2 emissions that are 30% lower in 2030 than the standard for 2021. “However, without the necessary technology, this will not happen,” says Mark Demesmaeker. “The Commission should have made investments in innovation more attractive by proposing stricter CO2 standards. It’s clearly a missed opportunity, with negative consequences on public health.”

Interesting proposals in the European package

That said, Mark Demesmaeker still sees a number of interesting proposals in the package, such as the transition to combined transport. Indeed, by greatly reducing the burden on the roads and by using the railway and waterway networks to their fullest potential, Flanders and Europe will have fewer traffic jams to contend with.

The emphasis on alternative fuels, which is enabling the transition to a green vehicle fleet, is also a good thing in his perspective: “For example, we need an adequate number of electric charging points to persuade European car drivers to say goodbye to their polluting cars.”