Commission’s weak proposal risks decade of harm to EU health & environment

The European Commission just presented its proposal for Euro 7 emission standards for motor vehicles as part of the Green Deal. This proposal was expected already last year, and included the formation of CLOVE (Consortium for ultra LOw Vehicle Emissions) to support the preparation. The proposal, however, is not aligned with expert panel advice, nor the Green Deal, nor with the auto-industry’s technological advances. The Greens/EFA Group criticises the weak proposal, which would allow further damage to public health and the environment. Although the emissions standards for trucks have been raised, the standards for cars remain largely the same as in Euro 6 (from 2012). 

Bas Eickhout, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur and Vice-Chair of the Environment Committee, comments: 

“After making Europe’s citizens and industries wait with baited breath for almost two years, the Commission has presented a so-called update to emissions standards, which disregards its own experts and environmental goals. With these lax rules, the Commission risks driving 100M highly polluting cars onto Europe’s streets. The Greens/EFA Group will push for stringent pollution measures, in line with the Green Deal, to protect both the health and environment of Europe.

“The Commission has clearly bowed to the demands of the automobile industry once again. In China and the US, several standards have now been tightened, but the Commission is giving industry a free pass to do virtually nothing about emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles for the next decade. The EU cannot be a global leader if the Commission refuses to seriously improve the rules, made almost a decade ago, on car emissions.”