EC Proposes Tighter Limits on Emissions from Trucks, Buses
December 21, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The European Commission (EC) recently proposed reducing emissions from trucks and buses via a new "Euro VI" standard to become effective in 2013. The proposal will reduce nitrogen oxides by 80% and particulate matter by 66% compared to the Euro V stage.
The new standard will significantly contribute to air quality improvement in the European Union (EU). It will also be a step forward towards global harmonisation as it foresees limit values similar to those of the U.S.
Furthermore, current legislation will be simplified, as directives (which need to be transposed in 27 different national legislations) will be replaced by regulations that are directly applicable.
In addition to more stringent limit values, the proposal introduces provisions on off-cycle emissions, on-board diagnostics, access to repair information, durability of pollution control devices, replacement pollution control devices, conformity of in-service engines and vehicles, and measurement of carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.
The proposal also foresees the introduction of specific limit values on particles. All these measures aim at reinforcing the effectiveness of heavy vehicle emissions legislation.
EC vice president Günter Verheugen, who is responsible for enterprise and industry, said, "More stringent emission limits will pave the way for cleaner trucks and buses. This is good for the health of our citizens and the environment. Industry gets a clear perspective and the time to prepare to produce clean, high-quality vehicles without endangering its competitiveness.''
Member states and their citizens are concerned about the impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment. Although air quality has improved over the past decade, there remain significant air quality problems throughout the EU, especially in urban areas and densely populated regions.
The proposal was developed following the principles of Better Regulation and the recommendations from the High Level Group for Competitive Automotive Regulatory System for the 21st Century (see CARS 21 web site). In particular, the EC noted the following about this proposal:
- Feedback received in the public consultation was fully taken into account.
- The costs and benefits of different options were evaluated in an impact assessment.
- The current directives will be repealed and replaced by directly applicable regulations, thus reducing the delays inherent in the transposition of directives.
- The proposal will lead to global harmonisation in that it foresees limit values similar to those of the U.S.
The proposal and its impact assessment, which are available on the EU's web page on Automotive Industry: Environment, will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers.
Source: European Commission.
IHS Information and Insight
This article was published to make you aware of documents available from IHS on the subject.
Top Document Collections (available by subscription)
- SAE Digital Library - includes technical papers addressing emissions, emissions control systems and emissions testing.
- CyberRegs - full-text Federal Register, CFR, state and international regulatory information for environmental, health & safety and transportation industry professionals.
Top Individual Documents (available online from the IHS Store)
- EU 2006/51/EC - COMMISSION DIRECTIVE amending for the purposes of adapting to technical progress Annex I to Directive 2005/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annexes IV and V to Directive 2005/78/EC as regards requirements for the emission control monitoring system for use in vehicles and exemptions for gas engines.
- ASTM D 4814 - Standard Specification for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel