EU auditors warned on Tuesday that new cars are not emitting less CO2 than EU rules require, and that in some cases their emissions have even increased. According to a report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), CO2 emissions from new passenger cars fell by only 3.7 % between 2010 and 2018, far less than expected. In 2019, emissions increased by 1.6 % and fell by only 0.7 % in 2020, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auditors also said that emissions from new light commercial vehicles (LCVs) fell by only 1.4 % between 2012 and 2019 and rose by 0.5 % in 2020. This is at odds with EU targets to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars by 18 % and from new LUVs by 15 % by 2021 compared to 2015 levels. The auditors highlighted problems with the European system for monitoring and verifying CO2 emissions from vehicles, which they said was not sufficiently open, accurate or efficient. They said that laboratory emissions tests did not reflect real-world driving and that there were errors and shortcomings in the data provided by Member States and manufacturers. In addition, the auditors noted that the EU has no penalties for manufacturers that fail to meet CO2 targets and that some Member States still encourage the purchase of high-emitting cars through tax incentives. (AICo2NEWS)