Commission proposal on reduction of CO² emissions from passenger cars greeted with mixed-feelings at EMF

On the one hand, the EMF welcomes the move by the Commission to propose legislation that will allow car manufacturers, and more generally road transport, to contribute more significantly still to the fight against climate change. Some of the flexibilities provided by the proposal indeed offer some breathing space for the automotive sector and offer some latitude for manufacturers to meet the CO² emissions objectives.

However, the EMF has expressed, on many occasions, the need for the EU Commission to base its legislative proposals on sound analyses of their possible impact on employment in Europe. In the case of the legislation on the reduction of CO2 emissions, the EU Commission has neglected to do this although the sector employs more than 10 million workers Europe-wide.

The EMF is particularly concerned that in its impact assessment study, as well as in its public statements the European Commission mostly focuses its attention on the effects of the new legislation on ‘ high-quality jobs’ .

“The term high-quality jobs has never really been explained to European workers” commented Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary. “In the context of today’s legislation it is clear that what the Commission means is that the new legislation will foster innovation in the sector – which is a very positive thing – and retain the jobs of highly-qualified engineers in Europe. The side of the story that the Commission never tells is what is going to happen to the hundreds of thousands of skilled workers who are not engineers but whose livelihood depends on the automotive industry?”

Workers’ organisations in Europe are concerned that too stringent penalties on car manufacturers alter the latter’s competitiveness.

“Recent developments have taught us that a loss of competitiveness by car manufacturers automatically impacts on their suppliers, who employ the vast majority of the automotive workers in Europe. Automotive employees have gone through enough hardship in the last few years. Car manufacturers have at times shown little consideration for workers’ welfare and they do not need another excuse for further restructuring”, said Peter Scherrer.

The EMF is now calling on the Member States and members of the European Parliament to show consideration for the future of employees in the car sector while at the same time responding to broader societal demands.

In this context, the EMF supports the implementation of a number of accompanying measures that should allow the car industry to continue to thrive and to provide jobs for all categories of workers in Europe. These include:

- an increased use of public funding for research and development purposes which would allow further reduction of CO² emissions from cars;

- an increased use of EU structural funds targeting specifically the automotive sector to train and build the skills that automotive employees will increasingly need to work on technically advanced systems;

- the funding of “financial incentives” for owners of old, polluting vehicles so as to encourage a faster renewal of the European car fleet and to boost purchase of new cars.

(See EMF Position Paper FEM 2/2007.)

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PRESS 52/2007

The EMF is the representative body defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF has a mandate for the external representation and coordination of the metalworkers' unions and a mandate to engage in bargaining at European level.

For further information please contact:
Editor, Peter Scherrer , EMF General Secretary