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But Porsche spokesperson Albrecht Bamler told AFP that "at the moment we have no plans to do that".

Bamler repeated the group's position that its powerful cars, including a hybrid version of its Cayenne sports utility vehicle, would not meet the mooted strict standards, and called for each category to be assigned separate limits.

Porsche and other European car companies have slammed a European Union plan that would cut average carbon-dioxide emissions for new vehicles to 120 grams per kilometre by 2012, from around 160g at present, but the European Commission has stuck by its proposal and plans to present a draft bill in December.

"We would have to take legal steps," the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung had quoted an unnamed Porsche spokesperson as saying in response.

Bamler told AFP that if the CO2 limit took effect, "We would have no chance to reach it and in this case we would go to the EU Commission" on the basis of EU fair trading law, "and we would think about going to the court."

"It's a very theoretical case," he stressed.

Cars produced by the group produce an average of 289g per kilometre at present, he said.

On Wednesday, European auto-makers united to demand more time to meet the emissions targets, with the head of European Automobile Manufacturers Association calling the 2012 deadline not "doable".

Association president Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the Frankfurt motor show that if EU legislation were to be adopted in 2009, "a minimum of six to seven years is appropriate before it could be enforced".

The auto industry is subject to long product development cycles, which auto chiefs say make it hard to meet the 2012 target.

On Monday, the business newspaper Handelsblatt quoted Porsche chief Wendelin Wiedeking as calling the proposed limits "completely naive".

Wiedeking said that "realistically, emissions requirements can only be graded by vehicle segment" and not as an average of a company's entire product line.

Porsche and other auto-makers say the planned regulation favours companies that make compact cars, which commonly have lower emissions levels than, for example, powerful sports cars.

Meanwhile, company spokesman Bamler said Porsche was serious about cutting its cars' CO2 emissions and expected to realise a reduction of 20 per cent by 2012 from the average level in 1995.

Story/photo  AFP

Vocabulary

to take legal action, expression: to use rules, regulations or laws to help you get what you want; for example, to sue

spokesperson, n: person who is officially assigned to represent a group

to slam, v: to strongly oppose; to disagree strongly

to stick by, v: to continue with something although somebody is against it

theoretical, adj: imagined; not real

doable, adj: realistic; achievable; can be done

naive, adj: unreasonable; not having enough experience or information to make a reasonable decision

commonly, adv: usually; ordinarily; as a rule

to realise, v: to create; to make come true; to make happen

Questions

1. Why are car manufacturers opposed to European plans on CO2 emissions?

a. CO2 emission controls are illegal.

b. There are no restrictions on compact cars.

c. It takes a long time to develop a new product.

d. Sports-car drivers think the smell of CO2 sexy.

2. How do they suggest plans should be changed?

a. All mission standards are abolished.

b. Old cars must meet the new standards.

c. Each category of cars gets its own limit.

d. All cars reduce their emissions at the same time.

3. When do car manufacturers expect to have the technology to fulfil the proposed emission rules?

a. 1995

b. 2009

c. 2012

d. 2016

4. What step has Porsche taken to reduce CO2 emissions?

a. drive less

b. built a hybrid car

c. use unleaded fuel

d. use only plastic parts

5. What might Porsche do if the EU doesn't change its plans?

a. take legal action

b. build cars for export

c. relocate the company

d. close down the factory

Synonyms

Which of the following words or phrases replace the ones from the passage best?

1. position

a. view

b. dilemma

c. prerogative

d. assignment

2. moot

a. fail

b. doom

c. threaten

d. consider

3. category

a. unit

b. type

c. individual

d. nationality

4. chief

a. boss

b. helper

c. customer

d. employee

5. compact

a. small

b. robust

c. versatile

d. intelligent

Answers

Questions    1. c, 2. c, 3. d, 4. b, 5. a

Synonyms    1. a, 2. d, 3. b, 4. a, 5. a

By Ajarn Horst Baelz