Although Europe's powerful car-making industry is exerting intense pressure on an EU environment panel to water down plans to force automakers to slash carbon dioxide emissions, it appears to have failed this time.

A majority in the European Parliament's environment commission voted down efforts to weaken European Commission plans to fine car-makers for failing to meet emissions targets, a spokesman said.

The two biggest political groups in the parliament, the conservatives and the Socialists, had supported a watering down, but Liberals, Greens and some dissenting Socialists managed to outnumber them in the vote.

The vote, which went against conclusions earlier this month by the parliament's industry committee, sets the stage for tough negotiations in the coming months.

The parliament as a whole and EU governments were to try reach a compromise on the package by the end of the year, a task which will only be complicated by the vote.

The ACEA European carmakers association blasted the committee's vote as "bad news for Europe."

"The European car industry calls on legislators to refrain from threatening the future of car production in Europe," said ACEA secretary general Ivan Hodac.

"The environment committee has given a wrong signal today. This is bad news for Europe, especially with the overall economic circumstances deteriorating already," he added.

But British Liberal lawmaker Chris Davies hailed the vote as a victory over the car-makers' lobby.

"MEPs today stood up for tougher measures to combat global warming and sent a strong message to corporate lobbyists to back off," he said.