(FRANKFURT) - European Union lawmaker Guido Sacconi wants to cut average carbon dioxide emission levels for new cars to no more than 95 grams per kilometer by 2020, a press report said here Wednesday.

At present the EU is planning to demand that carmakers slash average emissions to 120 grams per kilometre by 2012, a measure many carmakers have already said would pose a great challenge.

"The auto industry would have almost two production cycles (estimated at five to seven years) to develop cars that meet the target," Sacconi said in an amendment to the draft EU bill, a copy of which was cited by the Financial Times Deutschland.

Sacconi, an Italian, sits on the European Parliament's committee on the environment, public health and food safety.

He could have trouble getting a majority of EU deputies behind the new proposal however, because the one already on the table has met stiff opposition from Germany and several of the country's carmakers.

They feel their advance in powerful autos would be unfairly curbed by the EU proposals which would favour Italian and French rivals.

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