A call was made to update the new regulations pollutant emissions from motor vehicles -cars, buses and trucks-continue to pass the stages. Following the completion of the political agreement three weeks ago EU industry ministers To protect the European motor industry – to reduce the aim of the European Commission’s original proposal for ‘Euro 7’ regulations – this Thursday the European Parliament’s Environment Committee adopted its own position, with the support of popular, ultra-conservatives and liberals. vote against the socialists, the greens and the left.
Popular, liberal and far-right push their stance to postpone the ‘Euro 7’ standard to 2030 and 2031 despite rejection by socialists and greens in the Environment Commission
Like European governments, a majority of members of the European Parliament are inclined to relax the European Commission’s proposed rule. European automobile industry, They even go further: the text adopted by parliament’s Environment Committee on Thursday proposes delaying the entry into force of the new ‘Euro 7’ regulations and calls for lower demands on the emissions standards currently in force (‘Euro 6’). Environmental perspective – continue to apply until July 1, 2030 for passenger cars and pickup trucks, and July 1, 2031 for buses and trucks.
According to the European Commission’s proposal, the new ‘Euro 7’ environmental regulation should come into force much earlier: in 2025 and 2027 in both cases. The subsequent agreement between Industry Ministers aims to delay the introduction of emissions cuts by two years for both cars (until 2027) and trucks (until 2029). Now the parliamentary agreement takes this even further: by 2030 and 2031 respectively.
The preliminary agreement of the European Parliament members was welcomed by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA)
The European Parliament report has been adopted, once agreed with governments, which will serve to update particle and nitrogen oxide emission limits. 52 votes in favour, 32 against and 1 abstention..
before the end of the year
Again, Nothing is final yet. The text of the Parliamentary Environment Committee still needs to be put to a vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament.
After the general assembly approves the text, November general assembly meeting, Interinstitutional negotiations could begin to reach a definitive agreement between the Council (European governments) and the European Parliament. “During Spain’s Council Presidency, I hope to reach a final agreement that will allow Euro 7 to be ratified before the end of the year, or at least where the final details will remain. It would be a shame to start 2024 with negotiations still pending, because after us, we will be much less committed to defending the automotive industry.” Belgium, a country with an interest, will assume the presidency of the EU Council,” explained the Member of the European Parliament for Ciudadanos. and shadow talker, Susana SolisThe document from the environmental commission is considered “environmentally ambitious” and “realistic for European industry and employment”.
“The proposal we received from the Commission was not valid and would have led to the closure of a large part of our small combustion vehicle factories in Spain. Our work reduces emissions, but with rational measures: we legislate on technologies that are durable, not obsolete, so that the industry continues to invest in the transformation towards electric vehicles,” he said. explained.
The preliminary agreement of the MEPs was welcomed Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) because it better reflects the industry’s concerns about the European Commission’s initial proposal, but they still call for further improvements because it “falls short” in key aspects. ACEA CEO said: “We have long advocated for ‘Euro 7’ targets and testing conditions that do not make vehicles unaffordable or jeopardize the competitiveness of the industry, and have little or no benefit to the environment.” Sigrid de Vries.
Rejection of socialists and greens
The most important innovation of the proposal is that, for the first time, Emission limits for tires and brakes and organizes battery lifeHowever, it keeps the ‘Euro 6’ testing conditions for vehicles unchanged to prevent the industry from having to invest additionally in combustion engines, which will be banned from 2035.
“The agreement in the European Parliament does not deserve to be called ‘Euro 7’. It offers only minor improvements to existing regulations, which will not significantly improve air quality,” lamented the socialist negotiator. Christel Schaldemose. “The green socialist left has been defeated. As a result, we will preserve the affordability of cars with internal combustion engines and keep people working in the auto industry,” celebrated the Czech conservative and rapporteur of the report. Alexander VondraHe is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which believes any other outcome would endanger one of the main industries in the EU.
Conservative and liberal support
His report received support from the liberal Renew group and the EPP. “The Greens and Socialists in the European Parliament had successfully pushed for a ban on new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Now with ‘Euro 7’ rules they want to force car manufacturers to reinvest in combustion engines. This is nonsense, it raises the prices of cars and directs investments into technologies that will soon be banned,” the EPP negotiator recalled. Jens Gieseke, on reasons to vote against the popular ones. On the other hand, the position approved by the environmental commission “will guarantee the improvement of air quality and give oxygen to the sector.”