Chapter 27: setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles

The PLAC III project has provided support to the Road Traffic Safety Agency in aligning national legislation with the Union acquis related to the limitation of carbon dioxide emissions for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

In December 2021, Serbia opened Negotiation Chapter 27, which, according to the new EU enlargement methodology, is part of Cluster 4. According to the 2022 country progress report of the European Commission, Serbia needs to make significant efforts to further align its legislation with the climate change acquis in Chapter 27, and in particular to

start work to transpose Regulation (EU) 2019/631 on CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles (passenger cars and vans). Also to

put in place a monitoring and reporting system for newly registered vehicles.

Regulation (EU)2019/631, adopted in 2019 as part of the Union's climate action, provides a clear pathway for CO2 emissions reductions from the road transport sector and helps accelerate the transformation of the entire transport sector towards zero emissions. As the new target started applying in 2020, the average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars registered in Europe have decreased by 12% compared to the previous year and the share of electric cars tripled.

In Serbia, with the help of the previous PLAC project, the draft Rulebook on reporting of CO2-Emission from new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles was drafted through the PLAC project in 2016. The Law on Climate Change was adopted in 2021, but does not provide a legal basis for transposing the new Regulation. Therefore, support in the analysis of existing legislation and recommendations for transposition was necessary.

Project expert Vladimir Momčilović presented the results at the workshop held in Belgrade on 28 September. Momćilović presented a proposal for amendments to the Law on Climate Change, which are necessary to achieve the introduction of the obligation to report on CO2 emissions of motor vehicles. The changes envisage the introduction of the obligation to make available data on fuel economy and CO2 emissions from new passenger vehicles, so that consumers are informed when purchasing or leasing these vehicles.

The data must be submitted by the supplier, and the Road Traffic Safety Agency is responsible for collecting data and preparing annual reports on CO2 emissions of new motor vehicles.

Momćilović also presented draft proposals of two by-laws -

a draft Rulebook on reporting on carbon dioxide emissions from new motor vehicles of type M1 and N1 (new passenger and new light commercial vehicles), as well as the corresponding rulebook that refers to vehicles of type N2 and N3, i.e. medium and heavy goods vehicles.

The workshop was attended by representatives of the Road Traffic Safety Agency, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and several importers and distributors of motor vehicles.