With 297 votes in favour, 190 against and 37 abstentions, Parliament adopted the deal reached with the Council on the Euro 7 regulation (type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles). Vehicles will need to comply with the new standards for longer, ensuring they remain cleaner throughout their lifetime.
For passenger cars and vans, the current Euro 6 test conditions and exhaust emissions limits will be maintained. For buses and trucks, stricter limits will be applied for exhaust emissions measured in laboratories and in real driving conditions, while maintaining the current Euro VI testing conditions.
For the first time, EU standards will include brake particles emissions limits (PM10) for cars and vans and minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric and hybrid cars.
An Environmental Vehicle Passport will be made available for each vehicle and contain information on its environmental performance at the moment of registration (such as pollutant emission limits, CO2 emissions, fuel and electric energy consumption, electric range, battery durability). Vehicle users will also have access to up-to-date information about fuel consumption, battery health, pollutant emissions and other relevant information generated by on-board systems and monitors.
The Council needs to formally approve the agreement as well before it can enter into force.
ACEA calls for a coherent regulatory framework
The debate on Euro 7 standards has been going on for more than a year, and both hauliers’ and truck manufacturers’ associations have expressed their views on the proposed standards on several occasions.
The first reaction to the Euro 7 vote this time around came from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), which welcomed the vote, saying that the Euro 7 vote “puts the focus where it matters most – on future challenges” such as emissions from car and van brakes and battery requirements for electric vehicles.
“But make no mistake: Euro 7 still tightens exhaust emissions and test procedures. In particular, truck and bus manufacturers will face significantly more stringent rules, as they already face an uphill climb to meet rapidly approaching 2030 decarbonisation targets in the absence of vital enabling conditions,” stated Sigrid de Vries, Director General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The adoption of world-leading emission standards comes amid a shift towards electric powertrains and increased competition from global markets such as China and the US.
ACEA stresses the need for a coherent regulatory framework to maintain Europe’s competitiveness while ensuring affordability and accessibility of mobility for all Europeans.
“Decision makers will still need to decide on key elements through secondary legislation, and several important inconsistencies in the text still need to be corrected in an appropriate way. ACEA will continue working to ensure a realistic and proportionate Euro 7 that balances environmental concerns and competitiveness,” the organisation stresses.