EU:A feud within the European Commission over its car emissions strategy intensified yesterday with environment commissioner Stavros Dimas considering swapping his gas-guzzling Mercedes for a Japanese hybrid.
The Greek commissioner is locked in a bitter squabble with the German commissioner Günter Verheugen over a legislative plan to limit the amount of CO2 emissions produced by European cars.
A proposal by Mr Dimas that manufacturers insist on all new cars meeting a strict limit of 120g of CO2 per kilometre by 2012 was blocked last week by a group of commissioners led by Mr Verheugen.
They are concerned about the impact on the car industry, which employs six million people in Europe, most of them in big EU states such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
The proposal has also drawn the ire of German chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she could not support any strict emissions cap on the industry.
Commission sources confirmed a report yesterday that Mr Dimas was considering changing his official car this April to a fuel-efficient Toyota Lexus or Prius model, which incorporate a petrol engine as well as an emissions-free electric motor.
Mr Dimas would significantly reduce his carbon footprint if he switched to a Japanese-made Lexus, which emits about 186g of CO2 per kilometre. His luxury model Mercedes generates about 270g/km.
However, the choice of a Japanese car would break a long-standing tradition in Brussels, where all 27 commissioners use European cars, typically German-made BMWs or Audis. It would also cause consternation within the European car industry for sending a negative signal to the car-buying public about its environmental image.
Mr Dimas's spokeswoman would not comment on what car the commissioner favoured. But she said he wanted the most fuel-efficient car possible.
But the idea and its timing have heightened tensions in the commission.
One commission source said yesterday Mr Dimas was playing ludicrous politics by floating the idea of buying a Japanese car because it wouldn't win friends and influence people in the wider debate on what type of emissions strategy is adopted.
European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, who was criticised last year by environmentalists for driving a gas- guzzling 4x4 Volkswagen Touareg, which uses at least 265g/km, has promised that the emissions strategy will be passed next week.
However, there is speculation in Brussels that Mr Dimas's proposal will be watered down considerably by imposing a higher CO2 limit of 130g/km.