The Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE) is celebrating following a decision by the European Union (EU) to remove all requirements for the off-highway industry to comply with the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD).
By a narrow margin, the European Parliament Environment Committee voted this week not to amend Directive 2009/33/EU, rejecting the inclusion of construction machinery in its scope in the process.
Different purposes
CECE has been lobbying the committee since the possibility was raised in the European Parliament in June, arguing that as the CVD relates exclusively to road transport vehicles, construction machines should not be included as they aren’t intended primarily to carry people or goods from A to B.
CECE secretary general Riccardo Viaggi said, “We have no reservation on the emission reduction goals the EU has set itself and the construction machinery industry is proud of the significant advancements it has made in this regard.
“However, the Clean Vehicles Directive is tailored to the transport sector and is not an appropriate instrument to cover mobile machines such as those manufactured by CECE member companies.
“We thank the MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) who voted these amendments down for sensible and responsible policymaking and look forward to working with all MEPs to show our contribution to more sustainable construction processes.”
Considered a back-up plan for proposing the inclusion of construction equipment in the CVD, Compromise Amendment 5 was only narrowly voted down – this in spite of reservations from a wide range of groups across the political spectrum.
If carried, the amendment would have introduced a review clause that would have obliged the European Commission to reassess the off-highway industry’s inclusion two years after the CVD came into force.
