ITRE Vote Action

1 September 2008


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Vintage car display tells MEPS to shift fuel efficiency up a gear

To highlight the lack of progress on fuel efficiency, Friends of the Earth Europe displayed a vintage car and a contemporary version in front of the European Parliament to urge MEPs to vote for measures to reduce the fuel consumption of new cars by 25 per cent without delay. Despite there being sixty years difference between the two models, the fuel consumption is still the same - 7.5 litres/100km. Friends of the Earth Europe displayed a banner next to the cars asking if this was really '60 years of progress?'.


Friends of the Earth Europe display of vintage and contemporary Volkswagen Beetle cars, in front of a banner (Photo credit: Lode Saidane/FoE Europe)

The action coincided with an ITRE (industry committee) vote in the European Parliament on the cars directive. The banner called on MEPs to shift fuel efficiency up a gear, asking them to vote for 120g CO2/km by 2012 and 80g CO2/km by 2020.

An opinion poll, conducted in five European countries, shows a clash between public opinion and the direction of the debate in the European Parliament. An overwhelming majority of citizens support measures to force carmakers to reduce the fuel consumption of the cars they produce by 25 per cent without delay. This is in contrast to the constant weakening of and introduction of loopholes into the legislation proposed by the European Parliament.

Passersby show an interest in the vintage car (Photo credit: Lode Saidane/FoE Europe)

 



Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.