European fleets will be legally obliged to play their part in helping Europe reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 2013, should a new proposal from the European Commission become law.

Under an ‘effort sharing’ directive, economic sectors not included within the EU’s current and future emissions trading regime, such as those involved in transport and logistics, should also help fight global warming.

After detailed consultation, the Commission judged transport (manufacturing, services and consumers) among those businesses judged too complex in allocating their pollution responsibility to be part of an emissions trading regime, along with the food industry, the waste sector and others.

However, to ensure they are also obliged to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the Commission has proposed national binding targets for reducing such pollution covering non-emissions trading sectors.

For Britain, that figure is reducing emissions by 2020 by 16% compared with 2005. For key competitors France and Germany that figure is 14%.

A Commission memorandum said that the waste and other non-trading sectors “currently represent some 60% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU”.

It promised that national governments would be able to “define and implement policies and measures” to achieve these reductions.

The proposals now require European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers approval to become law.