Background
Environment Ministers agreed on Thursday 8 March to introduce tighter emission limits from 2003 for new types of motorcycles. The common position reached during the Environment Council foresees that from 2003 Member States can refuse approval for motorcycles that do not meet exhaust fume limits for carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
The proposal also provides Member States with the possibility of offering tax incentives to vehicles that comply with the new mandatory limit values in advance of the application date. The German delegation in the Council abstained because it would have liked to see even stricter limits from 2006.
The draft proposal will now be send to the European Parliament for second reading.
