Emissions Directive: exemption share for tractors and earthmoving machinery expanded
A text outlining the prospect of bringing to market a larger share of machinery not yet compliant with the latest norms on engine emissions was drafted in Brussels yesterday. Final approval of the document by the European Parliament is expected for early July. A crucial role for a progressive and rational transition to the new parameters have been played by Italian industry representatives in the National Manufacturers Confederation, Confindustria, system.
The European Parliament vote in a plenary session at the beginning of July is expected to approve the text of a proposal for allowing the progressive sale of machinery which does not yet comply with new emission requirements. Agreement on the text of the proposal to put to the vote was reached in a meeting held yesterday by representatives of the European Commission, the Parliament and EU Council. The proposal is for allowing manufacturers to market a share of their non-road machinery, earthmoving and construction machinery, equipped with engines which do not conform to the new emissions Directive. The share named for non-road vehicles is a number equal to 37.5% of average sales in years past and that set for tractors in a previous agreement is 40% of these average sales.
An alternative to this flexible share criteria is the possibility of adopting also “fixed quantity” criteria not linked to average sales but set for non-road as well as tractors at a share of 2.5 times the quantities now allowed under the Directive in effect.
The percentages of exemptions allowed in the document, much more advantageous that those set previously at 20% for the flexible quota, were the result of intense work carried out over the past few months by Confindustria and Unacoma/Comamoter, the association which represents the manufacturers of agricultural and earthmoving machinery, in conjunction with Italian ministries, the Italian permanent representation in Brussels and Antonio Tajani, the vice president of the European Commission, and his cabinet.
Aware of the state of crisis in this mechanics sector, the European Commission and now also the European Parliament and Council of Ministers are providing companies lacking funds because of the steep drop on sales in the wake of the economic crisis in recent years with an instrument for rescheduling investments over longer periods.
Unacoma President Massimo Goldoni commented, “The issue will be concluded only with the parliamentary approval of the document but we are satisfied with the affirmative cooperation we have developed with the EU organizations which allowed us to set new and more rational parameters for emissions, recognizing that it is not possible for these industries in the sector to speedily transform their own production systems and that a transition phase will be necessary.”
Rome, June 15, 2011
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