04 December 2023
On the 4th of December, the EU Transport Council adopted its general approach on CountEmissions EU proposal.
The main purpose of the proposal is to improve the calculation of and information on the greenhouse gas emissions of transport services so that customers can choose the most sustainable transport options.
The proposed regulation establishes a standardized regulatory framework, based on ISO standard 14.083, for accounting greenhouse gas emissions in transport services throughout the entire multimodal transport chain, in order to create a level playing field among different modes and the EU’s national networks.
Calculating or reporting GHG emissions will not be mandatory, but compliance to the methodology will be required when disclosing data or if calculation and reporting are required by applicable national law. Companies may calculate and report GHG emissions from their transport operations on a voluntary or contractual basis, or when required by other specific measures taken by industry and public authorities.
The general thrust of the Commission’s proposal was retained in the Council’s common position. The Council introduced, however, some amendments to the proposal, mainly aiming to:
- avoid duplication of rules for the accounting of greenhouse gas emissions under different pieces of EU legislation
- facilitate implementation of the regulation by SMEs
- allow Member States to apply stricter rules on domestic transport operations, except those carried out by SMEs.
The Belgian Presidency will start trilogues with the European Parliament once the latter agrees on its position.