All policies / Transport / IRL_P0020
EU CO2 standards for new passenger cars (successive regulations)
Instrument affecting the Transport sector, using a standards mechanism; in force since 2012.
About this policy
The EU, through Regulation 443/2009 mandated an improvement in average new car efficiency to 130 g CO2/km by 2015 with a target of 95 g CO2/km by 2021. This PaM expired in 2019.
Key milestones
- 2009Regulation (EC) 443/2009 adopted, with a 130 g CO₂/km fleet-average target phased in from 2012 to 2015.
- 2020Regulation (EU) 2019/631 applies, continuing and tightening fleet CO₂ standards for cars and vans.
Contextual milestones compiled from official sources. They are not used in the index.
About this type of instrument: performance standards and mandatory labelling
Energy use in durable goods responds weakly to prices because of imperfect information, limited attention and split incentives, for example between landlords and tenants. This is the so-called energy-efficiency gap. Standards remove the least efficient options from the market. Labels reduce search costs for buyers.
- Predictable performance outcomes
- Effective where price responsiveness is weak
- Drive technology diffusion across the EU single market
- Apply mainly to new stock, so effects accrue slowly with turnover
- Gaps between test-cycle and real-world performance
- Rebound effects
- Generally less cost-effective than an equivalent price signal
Measurement in this dataset. Implementation uses OECD indicators for building energy codes, minimum energy-performance standards and labels. Successive editions of each standard are grouped into one policy family. Bindingness is scored 1.0 (mandatory rule). Assumed timing profiles use long ramps reflecting stock turnover.
Year by year
Filled markers use a matched OECD score; hollow markers use assumed timing. Shaded bands show the policy's status. Select a year on the chart or the slider to see how its intensity is built up.
Source records in the EEA registry
All EEA records linked to this policy. Records under the "with additional measures" scenario describe planned extensions; they are retained for traceability but are not treated as historical policy.
| PaM | Name as reported | Status | Scenario | Period | Ex-post kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Improved fuel economy of the private car fleet (EU Regulation) | Expired | With existing measures | 2012–2019 | 0 |
Data-quality notes
Methodological notes recorded for this series, grouped by theme.
Policy-specific notes
- The family continues beyond an expired source record because a successor regulation applies.
- Measures the regulation, not observed fleet uptake.
Scoring conventions
- The unweighted equal-weight index remains positive before the policy starts; use the gated version for timing analysis.
- Bindingness is a normative score from the study rubric, not a measure of observed compliance.
- Coverage is an ordinal scope score, not a measured share of activity or emissions.
Timing assumptions
- The policy has no reported end date; its status after the reporting date is reconstructed as continuing.
Selection context
- Policies were selected using recent (2024–2030) assessments, which can introduce retrospective selection bias.
Sources
- OECD. Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF) database, Ireland, 1990–2023. https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ag]=OECD.ENV.EPI&df[id]=DSD_CAPMF@DF_CAPMF (accessed 25 September 2026)
- European Union. Regulation (EU) 2019/631 on CO2 performance standards for cars and vans. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0631 (accessed 25 September 2026)
- European Environment Agency. Reporting on national policies and measures, Ireland (report 1849), PaM 20. https://pam.apps.eea.europa.eu/