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The EU’s CO₂ rules set limits on the average emissions of each manufacturer’s newly registered cars and vans—not one identical emissions ceiling for every new vehicle. The schedule tightens in stages: the current law requires a 100% reduction against the 2021 baseline from 2035. A 2025 amendment gives manufacturers a weighted three-year period to meet the 2025–2027 target, while a separate Commission proposal would change parts of the 2030 and 2035 framework. That proposal is not the law currently in force.
What do the EU car emissions rules cover?
Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets CO₂ performance standards for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles—commonly called vans—first registered in the EU. The rules apply at manufacturer-fleet level. The EU establishes fleet-wide targets, then calculates a specific target for each manufacturer. A car is not individually subject to the fleet-wide g/km figure as though it were a universal model-by-model limit.
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The policy addresses a substantial source of emissions: the European Commission says passenger cars account for around 16% of EU CO₂ emissions and vans around 3%. These shares describe the vehicles’ contribution to EU emissions overall; they are not a measure of any one manufacturer’s performance.
For drivers, that distinction matters. The rules shape the mix and average emissions of new vehicles manufacturers register, rather than requiring an owner to meet a manufacturer target with a vehicle already on the road. The standards described here concern new registrations, not an EU-wide emissions test or purchase ban applying to every existing car.
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What are the targets and deadlines?
The legal schedule expresses targets as reductions from a 2021 baseline. The Commission also publishes fleet-wide target values in grams of CO₂ per kilometre for particular years. The percentage reductions and g/km figures describe related but different things: the reductions define the policy milestones, while the g/km values are fleet-wide target calculations, not a uniform limit for every car or van.
| Period | New cars | New vans | How to read the target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–2029 | 15% reduction | 15% reduction | Reduction against the 2021 baseline. |
| 2030–2034 | 55% reduction | 50% reduction | Reduction against the 2021 baseline. |
| From 1 January 2035 | 100% reduction | 100% reduction | Reduction against the 2021 baseline under the law currently in force. |
The Commission’s implementing decision sets the following fleet-wide g/km target values. They are useful reference points, but should not be mistaken for a single legal emissions ceiling imposed separately on every model.
| Target year | Cars | Vans | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.6 g CO₂/km | 153.9 g CO₂/km | Fleet-wide target values set by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1623. |
| 2030 | 49.5 g CO₂/km | 90.6 g CO₂/km | Fleet-wide target values set by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1623. |
For example, the 2030 car target is a fleet-wide value associated with the regulation’s target system. It does not mean that every newly registered car must have emissions of 49.5 g/km or lower. A manufacturer’s applicable specific target is calculated separately. When comparing a figure, check both the vehicle category and year, and whether it is a percentage reduction or a fleet-wide g/km value.
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How does the EU calculate each manufacturer’s target?
The Commission derives a manufacturer’s specific target from the fleet-wide target and the average mass of that manufacturer’s newly registered vehicles. The calculation therefore reflects the make-up of its registered fleet, rather than assigning every manufacturer the same final target. The regulation also provides compliance credits and adjustments, so the headline fleet-wide values alone do not tell you whether a particular manufacturer has met its obligation.
One adjustment is the zero- and low-emission vehicle (ZLEV) mechanism, which applies from 2025 through 2029. If a manufacturer’s qualifying share of ZLEVs exceeds the relevant benchmark, the mechanism can ease its specific target, subject to a cap. The benchmarks are 25% for cars and 17% for vans, and the adjustment is capped at 5%. Those percentages refer to the mechanism’s benchmarks, not to the overall reduction milestones in the target schedule. Reaching a benchmark does not change the fleet-wide reduction schedule itself.
Manufacturers may also form a pool to meet targets, subject to the regulation’s rules. The framework provides exemptions for manufacturers responsible for fewer than 1,000 new cars or vans registered annually, as well as derogations for certain small-volume and niche manufacturers. The existence of these provisions does not establish that any particular company qualifies: eligibility and the applicable year must be checked for the manufacturer concerned.
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These adjustments and exceptions operate in the compliance system for manufacturers. They do not give a vehicle buyer a separate emissions allowance or change the target into a personal obligation.
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Regulation (EU) 2025/1214, adopted on 17 June 2025 and in force from 9 July 2025, changes how compliance is assessed for 2025 through 2027. Instead of requiring the 2025 target to be met on a stand-alone annual basis, it lets a manufacturer’s emissions and targets be averaged across the three-year period. The average is weighted according to that manufacturer’s new-vehicle registrations in each year, and compliance is assessed at the end of the period.
In practical terms, the annual registration mix affects the weighting: a year with more registrations has more influence on the three-year calculation than a year with fewer. This is a change to the compliance timetable and calculation, not a cancellation of the underlying reduction targets. The regulation describes the approach as operating “while maintaining the targets for reducing CO 2 emissions.”
The flexibility is specific to the 2025–2027 period. It should not be read as a permanent change to the schedule for the rest of the decade, or as permission for a manufacturer to ignore its target altogether. The amendment changes when compliance is assessed and how the three annual results are combined; it does not replace the 2025–2029 reduction milestone.
How much is the EU car emissions penalty?
If a manufacturer’s average specific emissions exceed its specific target, the excess-emissions premium is calculated by multiplying the excess in g/km by €95 and by the number of newly registered vehicles:
Excess emissions (g/km) × €95 × number of newly registered vehicles
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This is a formula-based premium for the manufacturer, not a flat fine charged to an individual buyer or a fixed sum for each car regardless of the amount of excess. Under the 2025–2027 flexibility, the premium applies if the manufacturer exceeds its target over the three-year period.
As a purely illustrative calculation, a manufacturer that is 1 g/km over target across 100,000 newly registered vehicles would have a premium of €9.5 million: 1 × €95 × 100,000. That example shows why a small fleet-average excess can produce a substantial total, because the formula multiplies it across registrations. It is not a reported penalty or an estimate for any named manufacturer.
Did the EU change the 2035 car target?
As of the European Commission’s overview accessed on 12 October 2026, the law in force still sets a 100% reduction target from 2035. The Commission’s Automotive Package, presented in December 2025, includes a proposal to use a 90% tailpipe-reduction target from 2035 and account for the remaining 10% through low-carbon steel made in the EU, e-fuels or biofuels. The proposal is not the same thing as an enacted amendment.
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| Issue | Law currently in force | Commission proposal presented in December 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 2035 target | 100% reduction for cars and vans from the 2021 baseline. | 90% tailpipe reduction, with the remaining 10% addressed through specified mechanisms. |
| Ways to account for emissions or compliance | Existing regulation and its applicable compliance mechanisms. | Low-carbon steel made in the EU, e-fuels or biofuels to account for the remaining 10%; proposed super credits for qualifying small affordable EU-made electric cars before 2035. |
| 2030 vans target | 50% reduction from the 2021 baseline for 2030–2034. | Proposed reduction of the 2030 vans target to 40%. |
| 2030–2032 flexibility | The current schedule applies. | Banking and borrowing flexibility is proposed. |
The legal-status distinction is the key point: a Commission proposal signals a possible future change, but it does not by itself replace the regulation in force. Because this is a live policy file, check the EU’s latest legislative status before relying on a proposed change for a decision or reporting deadline.
How are emissions measured and checked?
Member States report vehicle registration and emissions data. The Commission uses those data to calculate and publish manufacturer performance. Separately, type-approval authorities check selected vehicles by comparing emissions recorded on certificates of conformity with emissions measured in service. They report detected deviations or artificial test strategies.
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This oversight matters because the legal targets depend on reported fleet data, while in-service checks can identify discrepancies between certified and real-world vehicle emissions. The checks described here concern verification by authorities; they do not mean every owner must independently submit a vehicle for testing as part of the manufacturer-target scheme.
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The Commission reports that average CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars registered in Europe fell 28% between 2019 and 2024, while average emissions from new vans fell 9% over the same period. Those are historical changes in average emissions, not the legal reduction targets, which are measured against a 2021 baseline.
In 2024, zero-emission vehicles represented 14.5% of new car registrations and 6.4% of new van registrations in the EU, Norway and Iceland. The geography for these registration shares is therefore broader than the EU alone. These figures provide context for the transition in new registrations; they are not the ZLEV benchmarks used to adjust manufacturer targets.
What does the so-called 2035 petrol-car ban mean?
“2035 petrol car ban” is shorthand for the effect people often associate with the current new-vehicle target, but it is not the most precise description of the rule. The regulation sets a manufacturer fleet-average CO₂ performance target for new cars and vans registered from 2035; it does not state that existing petrol cars must be scrapped or that owners cannot continue driving vehicles already registered.
The 100% reduction target in the current law points to zero tailpipe CO₂ emissions for the regulated new-vehicle fleet under the target framework. The Commission’s later proposal would introduce a 90% tailpipe target plus specified ways to address the remainder, but that proposal must remain clearly distinguished from the law in force unless it is enacted.
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Do the EU CO₂ rules set a limit for every individual car?
No. They govern manufacturers’ average emissions across newly registered cars and vans. The Commission sets fleet-wide target values, then calculates each manufacturer’s specific target; a published g/km figure is not a universal model-by-model ceiling.
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What are the EU’s 2030 CO₂ targets for cars and vans?
For 2030–2034, the current targets are reductions against the 2021 baseline of 55% for new cars and 50% for new vans. The Commission also lists 2030 fleet-wide values of 49.5 g CO₂/km for cars and 90.6 g CO₂/km for vans; these are not individual-vehicle limits.
Does the 2035 target mean existing petrol cars must be scrapped?
No. The rules apply to manufacturer fleets of newly registered vehicles. They do not require owners to scrap existing petrol cars or stop driving vehicles already registered.
How much is the EU car emissions fine?
The excess-emissions premium is calculated as excess emissions in g/km × €95 × the number of newly registered vehicles. It is a manufacturer-level formula, not a flat charge to a car buyer.
Did the EU change the 2035 car target?
The law currently in force retains a 100% reduction target from 2035. The Commission’s December 2025 Automotive Package proposed a 90% tailpipe-reduction target with mechanisms for the remaining 10%, but a proposal is not an enacted law.
What does the 2025–2027 flexibility do?
It lets manufacturers’ emissions and targets be averaged over 2025–2027, weighted by the number of new vehicles registered in each year, with compliance assessed at the end of the period. It does not remove the underlying targets.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: EU CO₂ standards are manufacturer fleet-average rules for newly registered cars and vans, not individual limits for every model or a requirement for owners to scrap existing cars. The current schedule sets 15% reductions for 2025–2029, 55% for cars and 50% for vans in 2030–2034, and 100% from 2035, all against the 2021 baseline. The €95-per-g/km premium applies at manufacturer level, and the proposed 2035 changes are not law unless enacted.
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