George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has welcomed moves by the European Union to curb CO2 emissions produced by new cars.

Latest figures for the 12 million cars sold in Europe in 2008 reveal that average emissions were down by 3.3%, the largest fall since records began to be kept a decade ago.

George Lyon MEPMr Lyon believes that the new regulations will see CO2 emissions cut by a further 20% over the next six years.

Commenting, Mr Lyon said:

"The changes that car manufacturers are introducing are long overdue.

"The industry has to adapt to a change in consumer attitudes. People are increasingly buying new cars based on environmental impact and not just on price.

"Cars are getting more fuel efficient every year. New European efforts to accelerate this progress will push car manufactures towards building the cars of the future that harness carbon neutral fuel sources like hydrogen.

"We must recognise that the car is here to stay and in some areas it is an essential part of everyday life.

"By reducing CO2 emissions and developing new technology we can help reduce the cost of motoring and protect our environment at the same time."