Calculation of heavy-duty vehicles emission credits 2025-2029

Background

In December 2025, the European Commission published the Automotive Package with the objective to turn automotive into a clean and competitive sector.

The Commission intends to support the sector’s efforts in the transition to clean mobility by setting an ambitious yet pragmatic policy framework to ensure 2050 climate neutrality and strategic independence. The Package also provides more flexibility to manufacturers and responds to calls by EU industry to simplify existing rules.

More specifically, the Commission has proposed a targeted amendment to EU heavy-duty vehicle CO₂ rules for the 2025-2029 period, adjusting how manufacturers earn emission credits without changing headline targets. Instead of linking credits to a linear trajectory between 2025 and 2030, manufacturers would earn credits whenever fleet emissions fall below the 15% reduction target set for 2025. The 2030 (-43%) and 2040 (-90%) targets remain unchanged, and urban buses are excluded. 

The Commission mentions slow rollout of charging infrastructure and the risk of a compliance cliff before 2030. If adopted, the change would increase early credit accumulation, ease late-2020s compliance pressure, and shift flexibility into the early 2030s, without weakening long-term climate goals.

Key points

• Climate ambitions in the automotive sector should be fully aligned with competitiveness drivers vis-a-vis global competitors and with preparedness strategies and plans.
• The Committee is concerned about the current lack of enabling conditions for heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) decarbonisation, such as sufficient charging infrastructure and grid capacity.
• However, rather than a full freeze, it recommends maintaining the indexation of credit and penalty calculations to the year 2025 until the year 2027, when a full revision of the regulation will take place anyhow, to improve credibility and avoid adverse incentives.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/874

Opinion type: Mandatory

Referral: COM(2025) 784 final 2025/0423 COD COM(2025) 784 final 2025/0423 COD

Rapporteur: Corina Murafa Benga (Group III - Romania)

Date of adoption by section: 9 March 2026

Result of the vote: 76 in favour, 1 against, 7 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 18-19 March 2026

Result of the vote: XXX in favour, X against, X abstentions

Contact

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