Labour MEP Miriam Dalli will be leading negotiations on the European Union's car emission standards beyond 2020, considered as one of the most critical  legislations that can help reduce emissions across the bloc.

Miriam DalliMiriam Dalli

This legislation is not only about climate change targets alone but it will be my opportunity to push for better air quality, cleaner cars and citizens' safety, Dr Dalli said.

The MEP said she will be working on this legislation amid reports that Volkswagen cheated on emissions tests and tested the impact of emissions on monkeys and humans.

The European Parliament had already recommended a 30% target back in 2013. In the Commission's current proposal, this 30% reduction would only be met five years later.

The draft regulation tries to address three key problems: insufficient uptake of electric and low-emissions vehicles; the possibility that consumers might be missing out on fuel savings; and the EU's risk of losing its competitive advantage due to insufficient innovation in low-emission automotive technologies.

The latest data released by Transport Malta and the National Statistics Office showed there were 372,061 licensed motor vehicles in Malta, more than 78% of which were passenger cars. The data shows that 36 new cars are registered every day in Malta, whose island population is just over 400,000.

Read: Licensed motorbikes up by more than 50 per cent since 2014

Slightly above 60% of vehicles had petrol engines, with 39% running on diesel. Less than one per cent of all vehicles on the road were electric or hybrid.

Between 2005 and 2014, the level of emissions from land transport in Malta grew by 16.4%.

“Reducing carbon emissions is about improving air quality for our citizens, encouraging manufacturers to innovate and give back the competitive edge that benefits consumers and economies,” Dr Dalli added.

In her role as rapporteur, Dr Dalli will be holding discussions with all stakeholders and push for the best possible deal with the European Council that puts consumers, public health, Europe’s competitiveness and climate change at its forefront.

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