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The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU on Monday reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament on a reform which will increase market certainty and help cut down overall transport emissions, according to Romania's Transport Ministry (MT).
The new rules will also strengthen the competitiveness of European industry in the expanding global markets for these new technologies, MT said Tuesday in a press statement.
The agreement was then submitted for confirmation by member states in the Council.
The EU is stimulating the market for zero- and low-emission vehicles by encouraging their use in public procurement.
"Today's agreement shows Europe's commitment to decarbonising the transport sector. By making the right choices in its procurement policy, the public sector can play a major role in supporting innovative greener solutions. This is exactly what these rules are about," said Rovana Plumb, acting minister for transport of Romania, chair of the Council.
Following the entry into force of the clean vehicle directive, the member states will have 24 months in which to adopt national provisions. They will need to report to the Commission on the implementation of the rules every three years, with the first report due by April 18, 2026.
The reform sets out minimum procurement targets for clean light-duty vehicles, trucks and buses for 2025 and 2030. The targets are expressed as minimum percentages of clean vehicles in the total number of road transport vehicles covered by the aggregate of all procurement contracts and public service contracts, according to the MT statement.
The new rules will also apply to a wider range of services, including public road transport services, special-purpose passenger services, refuse collection, and postal and parcel delivery services.
