Cars, buses and trucks in the EU should, in the future, produce fewer substances that are harmful to the environment and health. Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU states reached agreement on the new Euro 7 pollutant standard in Brussels on Monday, both sides announced. This means that limits for brake and tire wear will also be introduced for the first time. Austrian freight forwarders have always criticized Euro 7. The threat of additional costs was argued.
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EU states and the European Parliament have yet to formally approve the deal. According to Parliament, the rules will apply to cars and vans 30 months after they come into force and to buses and trucks 48 months after this date.
The new rules are intended to regulate pollutants caused by vehicles more strictly than before. What is new is that substances that are harmful to health, such as fine dust, which can be caused by tire wear or braking, will also be regulated in the future. This means that the regulations also apply to electric cars and hydrogen vehicles. According to parliament, minimum requirements for the useful life of batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles should also be introduced.
Furthermore, each vehicle must have an environmental passport that contains information on, for example, fuel and electricity consumption or battery life, according to Parliament's communication. Drivers should receive up-to-date information on this subject through the car's systems.
Retention of current limits for cars
Until now, exhaust gases have been the focus of Euro standards. Euro 6 previously regulated nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulates, hydrocarbons and methane, as well as ammonia for trucks and buses. Euro 7 stipulates stricter rules for exhaust emissions – but according to reports only for buses and trucks. The states and parliament agreed to maintain the currently applicable Euro 6 values for cars and small vans. Furthermore, according to Parliament, Euro 6 test conditions should continue to apply to all types of vehicles. Euro 6 regulates nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulates, hydrocarbons and methane, as well as ammonia for trucks and buses.
The revision of the limit values is based on a proposal from the European Commission from last year, which, however, was significantly weakened by parliament and the federal states with a view to car exhaust emissions. The rules proposed by the Brussels authority did not receive widespread approval from either the European Parliament or EU countries. Among other things, the rules for cars should come into force in 2025 and for trucks and buses in 2027.
According to studies by the European Environment Agency and the so-called Joint Research Centre, road traffic was responsible for 39 percent of harmful NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions in 2018 – 47 percent in cities – and 11 percent in total PM10 (fine dust) emissions. According to the EU Commission, in 2018, more than 70,000 deaths in the EU were due to prolonged exposure to fine dust and nitrogen oxide-related air pollution from road traffic.
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The German car industry said the new standard would help further reduce emissions from road traffic. Although some of the requirements are very ambitious, “our industry is determined to implement all the requirements”, said President of the Automotive Industry Association (VDA), Hildegard Müller. The Euro 7 decision significantly combines improved air quality and viability for industry.