As a result, not only the price of a vehicle, but also the impact it creates during its lifetime for the environment are reflected in the purchase decision. Flexibility is provided for local authorities on the detailed implementation.

The aim of the directive is to promote and stipulate the market for clean and efficient vehicles to prompt industry to develop and invest in environmentally-friendly vehicles. Given that the total annual vehicle procurement by public authorities in the EU is estimated at 110,000 passenger cars, 110,000 light commercial vehicles, 35,000 trucks and 17,000 buses, the new directive is expected to ensure a sufficiently substantial demand for clean and energy-efficient vehicles to prompt industry to develop and invest in environmentally-friendly vehicles.

Members of Parliament inserted certain flexibility in the directive giving Member states different options to fulfil the requirement. If a procurement procedure is applied, the environmental impacts shall be used as award criteria and the operational lifetime costs for energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and pollutants emissions shall be monetized and calculates following a methodology specified in the directive.

Member States can exempt vehicles designed and constructed for special use (vehicles designed and constructed for use principally on construction sites or in quarries, port or airport facilities, armed services, civil defence, fire services and forces responsible for maintaining public order; and mobile machinery).

In June 2006, the Environment Committee rejected a similar Commission proposal. The new proposal incorporates several of the committee’s requests, e.g. on the proposal’s scope, technology neutrality and the inclusion of CO₂ emissions.

The resolution was adopted with 641 votes in favor, 37 against and 24 abstentions.