By Paul Milligan PUBLISHED: 10:57 EST, 18 June 2013 | UPDATED: 11:03 EST, 18 June 2013 Senior members of the German government have warned EU member states that German car makers could scale back or scrap production plans in their countries unless they support weakened carbon emissions rules, according to diplomatic sources. With EU governments and lawmakers aiming to finalise the rules next week, which most of the 27 member states back, Germany has stepped up the pressure on them to water down limits on vehicle emissions to protect the country's mighty car industry, particularly luxury makers such as BMW and Daimler.
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Germany's luxury carmakers struggling to meet targets
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Berlin pressuring member states to weaken rules
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Most EU governments back the current legislation
But making less-polluting cars is costly and restricts profit margins, which is why major @placeholder manufacturers want to delay the stricter rules.