Cars are seen at Kaiserdamm street, which could be affected by a court hearing on case seeking diesel cars ban in Berlin, Germany on October 8. (REUTERS Photo)
FRANKFURT, October 10 (Reuters): European Union plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles by 35 percent by 2030 pose a threat to Germany as a car-building nation, national auto industry association VDA said on Wednesday.
"It is more than regrettable that the majority of member nations did not find the strength to strike a balance between protecting jobs and protecting the climate," VDA president Bernard Mattes said in a statement.
"Job security is lessened and Germany as an industrial location has been weakened," added Mattes, who represents carmakers such as Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler.
European Union nations, voicing concern over a U.N. report on global warming, agreed late on Tuesday to seek the 35 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars by 2030.
Several countries had sought a 40 percent reduction, in line with targets backed by EU lawmakers last week, but softened their position during late night negotiations in a step welcomed by the German government.
But Germany's auto industry remains disappointed with the result.
"With yesterday's vote we missed a chance to shape CO2 regulation for the time after 2021 in an economical and technologically realistic manner," Mattes said.
