The Commission released on 21 December new proposals to restrict pollution from new cars, referred to as 'Euro5'. The new rules are now being forwarded to Parliament and Council for approval. They are expected to come into force by mid-2008 at the earliest.
Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), which escaped the 'Euro 4' standards currently in force, are included in the new proposed rules. These heavy, upmarket vehicles, which include four wheel drives, have come under sustained pressure from environmental groups for consuming too much fuel.
The Commission has put forward the following new limit values:
Diesel cars:
- particulate matter (PM): 5 mg/km (down form 25, or an 80% reduction)
- nitrogen oxide (NOx): 200 mg/km (down from 250, or a 20% reduction)
Petrol cars:
- Hydrocarbons (HC): 75 mg/km (down from 100, or a 25% reduction)
- Nitrogen oxide (NOx): 60 mg/km (down from 80, or a 25% reduction)
With today's technology, the new limits will require that automakers fit particle filters to exhaust pipes on diesel vehicles, Enterprise Commissioner Günter Verheugen indicated. He estimates this to add around €390 to the price of a new car.
Member states that wish to do so may grant financial incentives for new vehicles that meet the standards as well as for scrapping those which do not meet them.
In a parallel move, Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot unveiled new proposals that would require local authorities to earmark 25% of their annual procurements for the purchase of cleaner vehicles. The rules would apply to vehicles above 3.5 tonnes such as buses and trash trucks, and should lead to the purchase of about 13.000 new such vehicles a year, according to Barrot. "The new European rules will make it possible to give manufacturers the assurances they need in order to develop these vehicles for a wider market," the Commission said. The rules should add 5 to 16% additional costs to local authorities' transport budgets, Barrot indicated.
