European Commission Proposes New Standards To Reduce Air Pollution From Vehicles

The European Commission on Thursday proposed standardizing the pollution limits for all vehicles under a new package dubbed Euro 7 to improve air quality, while keeping vehicles affordable for consumers and promoting Europe's competitiveness.

"The proposal replaces and simplifies previously separate emission rules for cars and vans and lorries and buses. The Euro 7 standards rules bring emission limits for all motor vehicles, i.e., cars, vans, buses and lorries under a single set of rules. The new rules are fuel- and technology-neutral, placing the same limits regardless of whether the vehicle uses petrol, diesel, electric drive-trains or alternative fuels," the European Commission said in a statement.

The new standards aim to ensure cleaner vehicles sold in the European Union, as road transport is the largest source of air pollution in cities, inflicting harm on citizens' health and environment.

The proposal addresses emissions from tailpipes, brakes and tires, as well as contributes to achieving the European Green Deal's zero-pollution ambition.

"Euro 7 rules will ensure that vehicles are not tampered with and emissions can be controlled by the authorities in an easy way by using sensors inside the vehicle to measure emissions throughout the lifetime of a vehicle," the statement read.

The European Commission will submit the proposal to the European Parliament and the Council for further consideration.

In 2019, the Commission adopted the so-called European Green Deal, intended to cut carbon emissions and build a resource-efficient and eco-friendly economy, with a net carbon neutral target set for 2050. The European emission standards apply to all new land surface vehicles sold in the EU and European Economic Area, as well as in the United Kingdom.