At most they suffered a slight stroke of green paint

Exasperated by criticism on the lack of responsiveness of the European Commission to save the auto industry, the industry Commissioner, Günter Verheugen, could not help but remember that with at least 20 of over-capacity the car suffered structural problems long and it did not quite anticipate his conversion towards "cleaner" models And regret whispered that builders Europeans are not the equivalent of the Honda Insight, a hybrid model which, since its inception on sale in early February, is booked to the Japan, only ray of hope in a world affected.

Brussels, claimed no environmental consideration to multiple support plans launched by its Member States. Obsessed by his fight against any return to protectionism, the European administration was perhaps afraid to reopen feuds after the compromise reached on 17 December last on the future of car emission standards. Under the European plan to fight climate change and after epic discussions between French and Germans, the agreement reached at snatching provides a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from new cars to 130 g/km travelled by 2015, indented on the initial proposal of 120 g/km in 2012. A little ambitious commitment for environmentalists, then that the transport sector is the only one in Europe including greenhouse gas emissions increased continuously since 1990. 26 Between 1990 and 2005, with a path that, if it continues, will lead to an increase of 42 in 2020. What to jeopardize respect for the international commitments made by the Union to combat climate change. However the road represents 90 of the emissions from transport, of which half is attributable to private vehicles.

With 2 million direct jobs, a turnover of 780 billion euros, 20 billion research and development expenditures, and a trade surplus of about 60 billion, rescue plans are not driven by a "green" ideal, but by imperatives of jobs. At most they suffered a slight stroke of green paint. "All premiums case-sensitive contain environmental conditions", defending the Association of European car manufacturers (Acea). With more or less strong requirements: the Germany and the Austria claim nothing, except the purchase of compatible models with the standard Euro IV, as in force until November 2009. The France requires the purchase of a model of less than 160 g/km, which corresponds to more than 80 of its two national builders supply. More ambitious, the countries of the South, Spain, Portugal and Italy, are the bar 140 g/km. Insufficient, denounce the environmental associations, which could require a 130 g/km threshold, knowing that the average of new vehicles sold in Europe of the fifteen reached already performance of 154 g/km. Elsewhere in France, the stress is almost zero because, according to Ademe, the average emissions from the Park (new and used cars) have already returned to 160 g/km. "The renewal of the Park is the best environmental and economic," defending the Acea. In the former EU-15, we calculated that 36 of the fleet had more than 8 years of age, and that his replacement would save 20 million tonnes of CO2, or 4.5 of the particular transport emissions. "And to add that the standards Euro-IV, pollutants such as Nox, fine particles or carbon monoxide, are also very efficient. In France, if all cars were, the whole of the regulated pollutants emitted by cars decrease by 64 to 82.

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In PSA as in Renault, are reminded also that the plan of support adopted by the French Government will allow sector not to lower the guard in the research and development. The envelope of EUR 6.5 billion credit is also designed to "contribute to the financing of major programmes of development of own vehicles, the future Euro VI standards and to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption". A too vague statement, protested Greenpeace or France Nature environment, wary of an abandonment of public transport for the benefit of the car.

More specifically, the Government refers in his stimulus package an envelope of EUR 400 million décarboné vehicle assistance. True or false Impossible to distinguish the old aid news. The day after the agreement of 17 December on CO2, the European automotive industry claimed 40 billion euros of subsidized loans to go towards engine emission-free, what the Commission met with a "green car initiative", essentially funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The latter has doubled its credits for clean transport, at a (1) envelope of EUR 8 billion in 2009 and 2010, mainly for the automotive industry. "We fund after a comprehensive study presented records, to verify that they are moving to green technologies," promises a spokesman. The EIB will be the European green guardian of the rescue of the automotive industry At least allows it not to put on hold his research.