In a written answer on 15 July 2026, Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told MEP Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D) that a member state cannot unilaterally require car manufacturers to meet a 0 g CO2/km target earlier than required by EU regulation. The answer, which clarifies the legal limits of national climate ambition under the EU's internal market rules, signals that the Commission views the harmonised CO2 standards as a ceiling for national action, not a floor.
The question arose from the ongoing revision of Regulation (EU) 2019/631, which sets binding fleet-wide CO2 targets for new cars and vans. Pellerin-Carlin asked whether a member state could impose a more ambitious target—zero emissions—by an earlier date than the regulation prescribes. Hoekstra's answer was cautious: while Article 193 of the Treaty allows member states to maintain or introduce more stringent environmental measures, the detailed harmonisation introduced by the 2019 regulation means any national measure would need case-by-case assessment for compatibility with EU law, including internal market rules and free movement of goods. The answer contains no concrete proposals, numerical targets, or deadlines, and offers only a general legal framework. It does not commit to any specific institutional follow-up beyond the ongoing revision process.
The answer is a moderate setback for member states and environmental groups pushing for faster national action on transport emissions. For car manufacturers, it provides regulatory certainty that they will not face a patchwork of national zero-emission mandates, preserving a single EU market. For the Commission, it reinforces its role as the arbiter of EU climate law, but may slow the pace of decarbonisation if member states cannot act unilaterally. The revision of Regulation 2019/631 remains the key forum for any future tightening of targets.