5.6.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 140/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EC) No 443/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 April 2009 setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the Community’s integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1) The objective of this Regulation is to set emission perfor- mance standards for new passenger cars registered in the Community, which forms part of the Community’s inte- grated approach to reducing CO, emissions from light- duty vehicles while ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market. (2)  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was approved on behalf of the European Community by Council Decision 94/69/EC of 15 Decem- ber 1993 (?), requires all parties to formulate and imple- ment national and, where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures to mitigate climate (1) 0] C 77, 31.3.2009, p. 1. (?) Opinion of the European Parliament of 17 December 2008 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 6 April 2009. () OJ L 33,7.2.1994, p. 11. change. In this respect, the Commission proposed in Janu- ary 2007 that, in the context of international negotiations, the European Union should pursue the objective of a 30 % reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by developed coun- tries by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels) and that the Union itself should make a firm independent commitment to achieve at least a 20 % reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels), irrespective of reductions achieved by other developed countries. This objective was endorsed by the European Parliament and the Council. One of the implications of those commitments is that all Member States will need to reduce significantly emissions from passenger cars. Policies and measures should be implemented at Member State and Community level across all sectors of the Community economy, and not only within the industry and energy sectors, in order to gener- ate the substantial reductions needed. Road transport is the second largest greenhouse-gas emitting sector in the Union and its emissions continue to rise. If the climate change impact of road transport continues to increase, it will sig- nificantly undermine reductions made by other sectors to combat climate change. Community targets for new passenger cars provide manu- facturers with more planning certainty and more flexibil- ity to meet the CO, reduction requirements than would be provided by separate national reduction targets. In setting emission performance standards, it is important to take into account the implications for markets and for the com- petitiveness of manufacturers, the direct and indirect costs imposed on business and the benefits that accrue in terms of stimulating innovation and reducing energy consumption.