Europe's cars of the future should emit 35 per cent fewer emissions by 2030, according to a plan set by EU member states that was being put to the bloc's parliament on Wednesday.

The limit, which will be based on 2020 levels, was agreed late Tuesday by environment ministers during talks in Luxembourg.

But the plans are merely a blueprint for negotiations, starting at 7 pm (1700 GMT), with the European Parliament, which has set the more ambitious goal of a 40-per-cent reduction by 2030 - setting the stage for an intense debate that will be watched closely by car manufacturers and environmental groups across the continent.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, had wanted a more modest target of 30 per cent, as proposed by the European Commission and supported by some eastern EU countries.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel cautiously welcomed the target set by environment ministers, saying it was an ‘acceptable result.’  She did however criticize the outcome for not having taken into account the European car industry, which she said was ‘not a good signal.’  The levels agreed Tuesday ‘risk having a negative impact on industry competitiveness, auto workers and consumers alike,’ the head of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, Erik Jonnaert, warned Wednesday.

 Earlier, German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze welcomed the agreement by her EU counterparts to seek a 35-per-cent cut in car emissions by 2030, referring to it as ‘important progress.’  Austrian Environment Minister Elisabeth Koestinger also said she was satisfied with the ministers' compromise, which followed 13 hours of negotiations, praising the move for ‘putting clean mobility in Europe in the fast lane.’  However, several countries expressed their disappointment, including Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The EU car emissions targets are part of global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and limit the Earth's warming, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Vehicle exhaust fumes make up a large share of the emissions linked to climate change.

 Existing EU rules stipulate that, by 2021, new cars may not emit more than an average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Earlier this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report stressing the importance of preventing average global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Car manufacturers warn that forcing the industry to change too quickly will lead to job losses, while environmentalists accuse the EU of not doing enough.

 The 2030 target will apply to car manufacturers' fleets as a whole, meaning that high-emission models would have to be offset with sales of low-emission or zero-emission vehicles, such as battery-run cars.

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