FIA welcomes EU's environmental call

A report called 'CARS 21', published by the EU on Tuesday regarding the European automotive sector's future, recognised the role that the FIA had played in encouraging moves to greener technologies and urged more to be done in F1.

Such recognition has delighted FIA president Max Mosley, who has made no secret of the fact that he believes F1 must become 'greener'.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said: "It is immensely satisfying that the European Parliament recognises the role motor sport can play in the advancement of green technologies and supports the work undertaken by the FIA in its policy campaigning to make motoring more sustainable in the future.

"With the support of the motor manufacturers competing in Formula One and, with the engineering expertise unique to the sport, we hope that new technical regulations will encourage a transfer of energy efficient technologies into the domestic car market for the wider benefit of society."

The CARS 21 report said that the EU wanted the FIA to continue promoting road relevant research in motorsport, and recognised that F1 could be used as a good platform to increase public perception of green technologies.

The report said the EU: "Recognises the leading role played by the Federation Internationale d'Automobile (FIA) at the forefront of innovative environmental technology changes that offer potential CO2 reduction and efficiency saving spin-offs for all new cars;

"Urges the FIA to further intensify its efforts to promote innovative road relevant research designed, inter alia, to improve the energy efficiency of cars;

"Recognises the role motor sport can play in changing attitudes and customer behaviour towards environmentally friendly technology; therefore asks the FIA and others involved in Formula One to change their rules accordingly, so that environmentally friendly technologies like bio-fuels, four-cylinder engines or hybrid can be more easily applied."