Green Week given taste of “Make Cars Green”

Publication date: 06 June 2008

As one of the major environmental policy events of the year bringing in some 3,800 participants, Green Week 2008 gave the FIA European Bureau an excellent opportunity to put forward the FIA's vision on the sustainability of transport. This year was dedicated to examining the sustainable use of natural resources, waste management, and sustainable consumption/production. The FIA European Bureau was able to distribute campaign brochures and inform a wide range of Brussels decision-makers about FIA projects and positions including EuroTAP, EuroTEST and Icars. Importantly, given a personal visit to our stand by EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, we were able to put forward the FIA European Bureau’s position paper on urban mobility.

As part of the global launch of the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign, the FIA European Bureau organised a Green Week cocktail. In attendance were several key decision-makers in the institutions including MEP Sean Ó Neachtain. He is both shadow rapporteur and draftsman of the opinion of the European Parliament's transport committee (TRAN) on the Commission's proposal for a regulation setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars. This proposal is part of the Community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.

“As an organisation representing national motoring and touring clubs, we owe it to our members to ensure that measures introduced in the name of climate change do not unnecessarily restrict mobility and really have a beneficial impact on the environment,” said FIA Region I Vice-President Thierry Willemarck at the event. Willemarck, who is also CEO of the Touring Club Belgium, noted that climate change is no longer high politics but an issue that impacts on everyone. It determines how we drive and how much it costs to get from point A to point B. Needless to say that the Make Cars Green campaign fitted in perfectly with the ethos of Green Week.

FIA presentations
Also speaking at Green Week were Wilfried Klanner from the FIA European Bureau and Paolo Diamante from Italian club ACI. At a stakeholder meeting, Klanner spoke on helping consumers choose low-emission cars session. He was able to put forward the clubs' positions on the revision of the car CO2 labelling Directive. On the other hand, Diamente devoted his attention on how to make Mediterranean tourism sustainable. Both contributions are now available at the Green Week 2008 official website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/greenweek/conference_pres.html