European Commission Adopts New Car Block Exemption
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Japan Automobile Manufacturers Newsfrom Association, Inc. European Edition VOLUME 12 N° 6 JULY/AUGUST 2002 JAMA Update European Commission adopts new JAMA Update European Commission adopts Car Block Exemption new Car Block Exemption Topic Japanese Automobile Manufacturers continue to reduce CO2 emissions in 2001 Newsbrief JAMA Reception Topic II he European Commission adopted on 17 July its plans to reform the Block Exemption for motor vehicles, due to expire 2002 International Car Tat the end of September 2002. The Japanese car industry is Recycling Workshop pleased that the Block Exemption Regulation has been renewed, since the principle of selective distribution is critical to ensure high quality service to consumers. Japanese car manufacturers will operate Essay within the new framework to ensure that the competitive market that already exists within the European Union will continue to work What’s in a name? in the consumers’ interests. JAMA pleased that the Block Exemption Regulation has been renewed In general, JAMA views the new regulation as a well-balanced doc- NEWS FROM JAMA ument, which clearly reflects the broad consultations that the Commission carried out with all major stakeholders in the last cou- BY E-MAIL ple of years. For further information: [email protected] JAMA appreciates that the Commission has agreed that the car industry must be able to require all sales outlets to maintain the prevailing qualitative standards in each geographic area. JAMA members believe that the adherence to ever-higher qualitative standards is essential to Motor vehicles statistics for building brand image, and have consistently called for provisions in Japan are available at: the new regime to ensure that this essential factor of competition is www.jama.or.jp/e_press/index.html protected for the future. As proposed by the European Commission, the location clause will be prohibited in three years time. In the course of this three year transi- A Monthly Review tion period, potential changes in distribution patterns and pricing may well become apparent. of the Japanese Motor Vehicle Industry printed on 50% recycled - 50% chlorine free paper Topic Japanese Automobile Manufacturers continue to reduce CO2 Emissions in 2001 lobal warming is one of the most important issues which society Gis confronted with today. JAMA is very much aware of the need for envi- ronmental protection and the reduction of exhaust emissions. The need to reduce exhaust emissions Japanese automobile manufacturers are actively investing in the technological improvement of their products to adapt turers have achieved a steady CO2 reduc- without exhaust gas treatment technolo- to environmental needs. tion of 8.7%. gies such as NOx catalysts. The same can be said for the diesel engine. The Japanese Government ratified the Japanese car manufacturers Kyoto Protocol on 4 June 2002 with a have achieved a steady JAMA convinced there is number of programmes aimed at reduc- reduction of 8.7% CO2 room for improvement ing greenhouse gas emissions by six per since 1995 cent compared to the 1995 level. Japa- JAMA is pleased with the current tech- nese automakers are equally determined This positive performance has been nological progress and with the general to contribute to this aim by developing made possible by the continuous intro- reduction of CO2 emissions. However, original and technologically advanced duction of new technologies and the JAMA remains convinced that there is vehicles to support the reduction of ongoing improvement of fuel efficiency. still room for improvement. Efforts to exhaust emissions. reduce exhaust emissions could be sup- New technologies introduced by ported by government incentives to CO2 emissions of Japanese Japanese carmakers since 1995 include enhance the interest of European con- cars in Europe down by gasoline and diesel direct injection sumers in environmentally-friendly cars. 2.2% in 2001 engines. The Continuous Variable Trans- Various programmes on eco-driving mission Technology (CVT) was intro- already help support the industry’s In 1999, JAMA signed an agreement duced previously and continues to be efforts to reduce emissions by enhancing with the European Commission and used in cars sold on the market. JAMA consumer awareness of such vehicles. committed itself to reduce the average members also introduced hybrid cars CO2 exhaust emissions of new passenger and automatic so-called “idle” stop cars to 140g/km by 2009. mechanisms in 2000. Since then, JAMA has held annual mon- The availability of itoring meetings with the Commission high-quality fuels is crucial and on 4 July 2002, JAMA discussed the 2001 results. However, JAMA indicates that the achievement of the CO2 emission targets The average CO2 emission level of requires not only the development of JAMA’s new car fleet registered in the EU fuel efficiency technology, but also the in 2001 has been reduced to 179g/km, upgrading of the quality of the fuel from 183g/km in 2000. This represents products. The full availability of high- a 2.2% decrease. Since the mid-1990s, quality fuels is crucial if the industry is specific emissions show a decreasing to achieve its CO2 commitments. trend. Specific CO2 emission levels (g/km) of Japanese manufactured cars At present, it does not seem likely that have decreased by 1.5% on average per the direct injection gasoline engine year. Since 1995, Japanese car manufac- could become an effective technology Topic II 2002 International Car Recycling Workshop n order to enhance co-operation in Other sessions in the workshop will Following the adoption of the European the research field on car recycling, focus on technical issues such as the ban End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive and I JAMA Europe, in association with on certain heavy metals, the use of lead the recent adoption of Japan’s new recy- ACEA and the AAM, its European and in cars and the level of impurities. cling law, JAMA is now focused on American counterparts, is jointly organ- proper ELV treatment and ease of compo- ising an International Car Recycling The car industry is nent dismantling to promote recycling. Workshop. developing easy-to-recycle Treatment operations required for the de- vehicles in Europe and Japan pollution of end-of-life vehicles include The Workshop will be held in Munich, the removal or neutralisation of pyrotech- Germany, on 25-26 September 2002. JAMA and the European car industry are nic components, such as airbags. convinced that these joint efforts will Common strategies for car eventually contribute to achieving their Japan’s new car recycling recycling and improving aim of designing environment-friendly programme product design vehicles, which can be recycled easily and quickly. Automobile manufacturers are now As an active member of the organisation faced with the challenge of designing committee, JAMA will contribute to a JAMA members have made continuous vehicles which will promote reuse and working group on “Common strategies efforts to contribute to the environment recycling and which can be easily dis- for ELV treatment and improvements and to improve the environmental mantled. toward product design”. performance of their products. continued on page 4 Newsbrief JAMA Reception AMA Europe hosted its 7th annual reception in Brussels on 2nd July. JMore than 180 representatives from the automotive industry, the EU institu- tions, the media and many other friends of JAMA gathered in the Chateau St. Anne, one of Brussels’ most attractive venues. The reception was a great opportunity for industry, decision-makers and stakehold- ers to come together to informally exchange views, while sampling Japanese cuisine. New JAMA Chairman Yoshihide Munekuni talking to ACEA’s Ivan Hodac The Guest of honour was the new JAMA Chairman Yoshihide Munekuni, who tributing vitally to national economies environmental protection, safety and was elected to lead JAMA in May this and playing a leading role in the move- transport, which have to be addressed year. In his keynote speech, the Honda ment of goods and people.” He also comprehensively on the basis of techno- Chairman stated, “The motor vehicle emphasised that the industry faced logical innovation and information tech- industry is a core industry that is con- enormous challenges in the fields of nology. In Japan, the car industry is developing support the Government’s move for Automobile manufacturers in Japan are easy-to-recycle vehicles in anticipation more environmentally-friendly vehicles. now involved in a joint airbag recycling of a new car recycling programme, facility. Manufacturers in the EU are co- which is expected to enter into force in At the same time, carmakers are actively operating in Design for Recycling (DfR) 2004. The Government aims to increase trying to broaden their scope to involve to modify the existing ELV regulations. the already high number of recycled non-manufacturing parties in their vehicles in Japan as well as the recyclabil- efforts. This challenge is further compli- Both Japanese and European manufac- ity of the average passenger car. cated by safety-related vehicle compo- turers are firmly convinced that infor- nents that are specifically designed to mation on such action programmes The new Nissan March is already 95% avoid easy dismantling due to concerns should be shared in order to contribute recyclable and is just one example of the with tampering. to the definition of a common future steps taken by Japanese carmakers to DfR direction for the car industry. Essay by Peter Nunn What’s in a name? ar names are in the news again. 350Z, the Fairlady got its name because latest crop of names show that Japan still Since the beginning of this year, according to legend former president has that dab hand when it comes to Cthe Japanese domestic market has Katsuji Kawamata went to see “My Fair thinking up car names that dare to be welcomed model names as diverse as Lady,” liked the play and, well, the rest is different.