Commission welcomes today’s decision of the Council to adopt a new Directive on clean vehicles used by public authorities

On 30 March, 2009, the Council of Ministers adopted a new Directive promoting clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles that are in use by public authorities. The Directive aims to stimulate the market for clean and efficient vehicles and to prompt developments and investments by the industry. Increased sales will help reduce costs through economies of scale and will result in progressive improvement in the energy and environmental performance of the whole vehicle fleet. The new measures extended to all purchases of road transport vehicles by public authorities or by transport operators charged with public service obligations.