European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and European Aluminium urge EU to expand vehicle CO2 rules to support low-carbon aluminium

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and European Aluminium urge EU to expand vehicle CO2 rules to support low-carbon aluminium

(IN BRIEF) European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and European Aluminium are calling on the European Union to revise CO2 rules for cars and vans to include incentives for low-carbon aluminium alongside steel. The organisations argue that the automotive and aluminium industries are closely linked and that stronger policy support is needed to drive industrial decarbonisation, strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and support demand for sustainable materials. The groups are also urging policymakers to accelerate the implementation timeline for low-carbon material incentives and finalise an official EU definition for low-carbon aluminium under the ESPR framework before related regulations take effect.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRUSSELS, 18-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) and European Aluminium have urged European policymakers to revise the European Union’s CO2 regulations for cars and vans to include stronger incentives for low-carbon aluminium, arguing that the move is essential for industrial competitiveness, decarbonisation and strategic autonomy.

In a joint statement released in Brussels, the two industry bodies said Europe’s automotive and aluminium sectors are deeply interconnected and together support more than 14.5 million jobs across the European Union. They stressed that the future competitiveness of the European automotive sector depends on access to innovative and resilient aluminium production, while aluminium producers rely on a strong vehicle manufacturing industry to drive demand and technological progress.

The organisations described the ongoing revision of the EU automotive regulatory framework as a critical opportunity to coordinate industrial transformation across both sectors. They called for the expansion of the compensatory mechanism under the CO2 Regulation for cars and vans to explicitly include low-carbon materials such as aluminium alongside steel.

According to the associations, aluminium plays a key role in vehicle lightweighting and emissions reduction strategies, and excluding it from the framework would create inconsistencies with other European legislation, including the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, where aluminium and steel are already treated jointly.

The groups also argued that demand incentives for low-carbon aluminium and steel are essential for Europe’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy. They noted that aluminium has already been classified as a strategic material under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), making its exclusion from automotive CO2 rules difficult to justify from a regulatory perspective.

In addition, ACEA and European Aluminium called for the timeline of the low-carbon material compensatory mechanism to be accelerated. Rather than waiting until 2035, the organisations want the mechanism to enter into force immediately once the revised legislation is adopted in order to stimulate earlier industrial investment and faster decarbonisation.

The industry bodies also urged the European Union to finalise a formal definition of “low-carbon aluminium” under the ESPR framework by the end of 2027. They said a clear and harmonised methodology is necessary before broader implementation of related industrial and emissions regulations, warning that policymakers and industry cannot credibly establish targets or assess feasibility without agreed technical definitions.

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association represents 17 major vehicle manufacturers operating in Europe, including BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz Group, Renault Group, Stellantis, Volkswagen Group and Volvo Group. Meanwhile, European Aluminium represents more than 100 member organisations and over 600 aluminium-related industrial sites across 30 European countries.

The organisations highlighted the broader economic importance of the EU automotive sector, which supports 13.6 million jobs, generates over €414 billion in tax revenues and accounts for more than 8% of the European Union’s GDP.

Notes for editors

About the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group. www.acea.auto

About European Aluminium

European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the wider stakeholder community to promote the outstanding properties of aluminium, secure growth and optimise the contribution our metal can make to meeting Europe’s sustainability challenges. Our 100+ members include primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations, representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries. Aluminium products are used across a wide range of markets, including automotive, transport, renewable energy infrastructure, building and construction, defence, and packaging.  www.european-aluminium.eu

About the EU automobile industry

• 13.6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
• 8.1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
• €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments
• €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
• Over 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
• €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total

Media Contact:

Camille Lamarque
Media Relations Manager
cl@acea.auto
+32 2 738 73 16

SOURCE: ACEA