Last April, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) adopted the coalition text on CO₂ standards for cars and vans with a solid majority. This is an important victory for a realistic, pro-European and pro-industry approach to the green transition.
I am proud to have contributed actively to this result, particularly on the priorities that matter most for Spain, for the European automotive sector and for the European People’s Party.
First, the compromise text strengthens the “Made in the EU” dimension. It introduces a clearer definition in the recitals, ensuring that European incentives support genuine European production, industrial value and high environmental, social and labour standards. At a time of growing global competition, this is essential to protect Europe’s strategic autonomy and prevent our climate policy from creating new dependencies.
Second, the text gives stronger recognition to SMEs in the automotive value chain. Even when they are not directly regulated, small and medium-sized enterprises are deeply affected as suppliers, subcontractors and downstream actors. The compromise acknowledges this reality and introduces more favourable conditions for their competitiveness, including a 1.3 multiplier for small-volume manufacturers and stronger encouragement to source from diversified suppliers, including EU-based SMEs.
Third, we expanded the credit system in a responsible way. The compromise provides more flexibility for industry, including through renewable fuels and low-carbon materials, but it also anchors these tools in a stronger life-cycle emissions methodology. This ensures that flexibility does not come at the expense of environmental credibility.
Above all, this text moves Europe in the right direction: towards strategic autonomy, supply-chain resilience and industrial competitiveness, while maintaining our commitment to climate action. This is exactly the balance Europe needs.
This result was made possible thanks to close cooperation with our Rapporteur and with key coalition partners from Renew Europe and the Socialists & Democrats. The European Parliament now enters the trilogues with the Commission and the Council with a strong and credible mandate.
In the coming sessions, I will continue to support our Rapporteur and work for a constructive agreement. I sincerely hope for a positive dialogue with the Commission and the Council, with whom we have cooperated well so far. Interinstitutional harmony is essential if we want to make our Union more cohesive, effective and capable of delivering.
In this same spirit, I will be organising an interinstitutional roundtable next week to encourage further dialogue on the future of CO₂ standards, industrial competitiveness and climate policy.
Details will follow soon. Stay tuned.