By Erik Kirschbaum
Matthias Wissmann said the VDA, Germany's powerful car lobby, was nevertheless still demanding the European parliament and European Union water down plans to levy fines on carmakers whose fleets break limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
"Naturally it's a development we welcome," he said.
Wissmann said CO2 emissions of new German cars registered in 2007 fell by 1.7 percent to just under 170 grams per kilometer. That was above the 160 grams per kilometer for all new cars, including imports, that were registered in 2007.
"That shows that the new models with lower CO2 emissions are becoming popular among consumers," Wissmann said.
The German government backs the car lobby's demands for changes to the proposals -- even though it portrays itself as a leader in the fight against global warming. It also rejects environmental groups' calls for speed limits on motorways.
"We don't want Germany to became a nation of small car owners," Wissmann said. "We expect to see considerable movement on the EU's position."
The BUND environmental group criticized Wissmann.
(Editing by Catherine Evans)
