UPDATE 2-EU agrees to cut car emissions in climate fight

By Pete Harrison and Ilona Wissenbach

BRUSSELS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - European carmakers must cut global-warming gases from new vehicles by 18 percent within the next six years, the EU agreed on Monday, after a long battle between environmentalists and an industry facing tough times.

'This deal represents a balance between the needs of the environment and the car industry across Europe, which is suffering massively at the moment,' British Conservative lawmaker Martin Callanan told Reuters late on Monday.

But the compromise was attacked by environmentalists, who said it was tailored too neatly around big auto's demands and undermined EU efforts to lead the world in fighting climate change.

Carbon dioxide emissions from new cars will be cut to 130 grams per km (.6 mile), with auto makers' fleets phased into the new regime between 2012 and 2015.

The provisional deal in closed-door negotiations will need approval by the European Parliament and all 27 European Union nations before becoming law, but is not expected to change much.

The European Commission, which originates EU laws, had envisaged the full emissions cuts by 2012, mindful of climate change and the droughts, violent storms and rising sea levels it is expected to bring.

But Germany fought hard for BMW and Mercedes , which will now be able to produce their biggest, luxury gas-guzzlers until 2014, protecting jobs and export earnings.

A moderate system of fines means manufacturers may prefer to miss targets and pay up rather than throttle back on horsepower.

'The car industry has been driving negotiations all along and EU politicians have been happy to sit in the passenger seat,' Greenpeace campaigner Franziska Achterberg said.



ROUGH DEAL

France and Germany had sketched out a rough deal in May, which Britain signed up to in October after winning special treatment for luxury brands Aston Martin and Jaguar.

Europe's other big car-making nation, Italy, joined the trio last month after winning concessions for Fiat and its Maserati and Ferrari sports cars.

Environmentalists had held the power during negotiations in the European Parliament, throwing out an earlier compromise they saw as too soft on big automakers.

But the economic crisis added weight to manufacturers' demands, and lawmakers accepted the phased-in deal after winning assurances that carmakers would have to meet more ambitious targets further down the road.

'This is a huge disappointment,' said British Liberal member Chris Davies. 'Tough carbon curbs would have led to lower driving costs, but the consumer seems to have been largely forgotten.'

Emissions will have to be cut around 40 percent to 95 grams per km by 2020, a goal expected to boost sales of electric cars and hybrids. But Davies said such an ambitious goal would be difficult, given the watered-down mid-term cuts.

Monday's deal sees tough fines of 95 euros ($119.80) per gram per car sold for automakers that miss their target by a long way, but those that overshoot by less than three grams face modest sanctions of between 5 and 25 euros.

'It's a proper compromise,' said German Conservative member Angelika Niebler. 'That's acceptable because of the difficult situation of industry now.'

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Keywords: EU CARS/CO2



BRUSELAS, 1 dic (Reuters) - Los fabricantes europeos de coches deberán recortar en un 18% los gases causantes del calentamiento global en los vehículos nuevos en los próximos seis años, acordó el lunes la UE, después de una larga batalla entre los ecologistas y una industria que se enfrenta a tiempos difíciles.

'Este acuerdo representa un equilibrio entre las necesidades de los ecologistas y la industria automovilística en Europa, que está sufriendo enormemente en este momento', dijo el diputado conservador británico Martin Callanan a Reuters.

Sin embargo el compromiso recibió el ataque de los ecologistas, que dijeron que se ha trazado con esmero alrededor de las demandas de los coches grandes y menoscabado los esfuerzos de la UE para liderar al mundo en la lucha contra el cambio climático.

Las emisiones de dióxido de carbono de los coches nuevos se recortarán a 130 gramos por kilómetro, y las flotas de los fabricantes de coches pasarán por fases al nuevo régimen entre 2012 y 2015.

Este acuerdo provisional concluido en las negociaciones a puerta cerrada necesitará la aprobación del Parlamento Europeo y de los 27 miembros de la Unión Europea antes de convertirse en ley, pero no se esperan grandes cambios.

La Comisión Europea, de donde emanan las leyes de la UE, había concebido recortes totales de emisiones para 2012, atenta al cambio climático y a las sequías, tormentas violentas y crecida de los mares que se espera que traiga.

Sin embargo, Alemania luchó por BMW y Mercedes, que ahora podrán producir sus vehículos más grandes, lujosos y grandes consumidores de combustibles hasta 2014, protegiendo puestos de trabajo y exportaciones.

Francia y Alemania habían delineado un acuerdo en mayo, que Reino Unido firmó en octubre después de conseguir un tratamiento especial para sus firmas de lujo Aston Martin y Jaguar.

Italia se unió al trío el mes pasado, tras conseguir concesiones para Fiat y sus coches deportivos Maserati y Ferrari. (Información de Pete Harrison e Ilona Wissenbach; Traducido por Raquel Castillo en la Redacción de Madrid; Reuters Messaging: [e-mail] + 34 915858341; [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.