Automakers to stick to position on CO2 emissions

MILAN (Reuters) - Faced with the prospect of paying billions of euros in fines for CO2 emissions, car makers plan to renew their call to the European Commission to improve roads and public transport to help them meet proposed limits on CO2.

The association that represents the world's car makers said it will hold a news conference at the Geneva autoshow next Wednesday to repeat their demands.

The executive body of the European Union has drafted tough legislation to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from cars, with steep fines on manufacturers that fail to comply.

The legislation has been criticized by countries like Germany, whose manufacturers make big cars that pollute more than the smaller ones made in France and Italy.

The legislation, adopted in December, is part of a wider initiative to cut emissions linked to global warming. It is to be discussed by EU environment ministers in Brussels on Monday.

One of the demands of OICA, the association organizing the news conference, is to have the Commission put as much emphasis on improving roads and other infrastructure as it has on getting car makers adopt cleaner technology.

"There is an infrastructure problem," said Guido Rossignoli, a committee chairman at OICA.

"It is right to go ahead with compulsory reductions for cars ... but it will lead to nothing if you don't include other specific measures," he told Reuters on Thursday.

The manufacturers made a similar statement at the Frankfurt autoshow in September, when they said the extra cost of meeting the limits by a 2012 deadline would hurt the industry.