CJEU rejects appeal by eight manufacturers against CO2 targets for trailers and semi-trailers

The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed, on 1 October 2026, the appeal brought by eight trailer and semi-trailer manufacturers — Krone, Schmitz Cargobull, Kögel, System Trailers, Wecon, Schwarzmüller, Langendorf and Fliegl — against Regulation (EU) 2024/1610, which extends to O3 and O4 class trailers and semi-trailers the CO2 emission reduction targets measured by the VECTO-Trailer tool: -10% for semi-trailers and -7,5% for trailers, to be met by 2030.

A ruling on standing, not on the merits

In case C-522/25 P, the Court did not assess whether the CO2 targets are technically reasonable. It decided, under Article 263(4) TFEU, that the manufacturers lacked standing to directly challenge the regulation: because it is a legislative act of general application, and because the mere risk of facing fines for non-compliance is not enough to give them an individual interest in bringing proceedings. Regulation 2024/1610 therefore remains unchanged and in force.

What this means for fleet buyers and operators

New trailers and semi-trailers sold in the European Union remain subject to the CO2 targets through aerodynamic design changes — modifications the manufacturers themselves had already warned could reduce useful load capacity, requiring more trips to carry the same volume. The ruling creates no new obligation with immediate effect behind the wheel; it mainly affects, in the medium term, the fleet renewal decisions of hauliers operating out of the Iberian Peninsula, as new models approved under VECTO-Trailer enter the market.