16/01/2008
NEWS STORY
The FIA has today, Wednesday 16 January, issued the following:
The FIA welcomes the European Parliament's new 'CARS 21' report on the European automotive sector as an important policy blueprint for the industry's future. The report also recognises the leading role played by the FIA in encouraging the development and use of new environmental technologies.
The report calls upon the FIA to continue its work to promote road relevant research in motor sport and recognises the potential role of Formula One in changing attitudes and customer behaviour in bringing green technologies to market more quickly.
The European Parliament's report refers to the FIA's activities in the following terms:
"Recognises the leading role played by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) at the forefront of innovative environmental technology changes that offer potential CO2 reduction and efficiency saving spin-offs for all new cars;
"Urges the FIA to further intensify its efforts to promote innovative road relevant research designed, inter alia, to improve the energy efficiency of cars;
"Recognises the role motor sport can play in changing attitudes and customer behaviour towards environmentally friendly technology; therefore asks the FIA and others involved in Formula One to change their rules accordingly, so that environmentally friendly technologies like bio-fuels, four-cylinder engines or hybrid can be more easily applied."
FIA President Max Mosley said: "It is immensely satisfying that the European Parliament recognises motor sport's role in developing environmentally-friendly technologies and supports the work undertaken by the FIA in its campaign to make motoring more sustainable in the future."
"With the support of the motor manufacturers competing in Formula One and with the engineering expertise unique to the sport, the new technical regulations will accelerate the introduction of energy-efficient technologies into the domestic car market."
To further its environmental objectives the FIA will work with its international membership of automotive clubs and with stakeholders in world motor sport to take forward recommendations from its Make Cars Green Declaration at campaign events throughout 2008.
These recommendations include calls for governments to introduce fiscal incentives for both motor manufacturers and consumers to introduce modern, fuel-efficient technologies and for the first worldwide target on CO2 emissions as part of an international framework for greener motoring.