European Parliament and Council negotiators, under the six‑month Spanish EU presidency, have settled an interim agreement on the Euro 7 regulation. The aim is to curb pollutant emissions from motor vehicles including cars, buses, and trucks, as well as brake and tire wear. The negotiated text narrows the original intent of the European Commission and delays the entry into force of new standards, with compliance phased in after 2026 for cars and vans and after 2028 for buses and trucks, prioritizing the competitiveness of the European automotive sector.
We have managed to strike a balance between environmental targets and the vital interests of producers. The negotiators sought to maintain a path toward smaller, more affordable cars with internal combustion engines for national markets, while allowing the automotive industry to prepare for the broader transformation underway in the sector, said a representative from the European Parliament, the Czech conservative Alexander Vondra.
The updated rules keep the Euro 6 limits for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for testing conditions. At the European Parliament’s request, the measurement of exhaust particles will use PN10 instead of PN23, aligning with the latest technical developments acknowledged by the Council. The standard will also push for reduced emissions from trucks and buses, including pollutants not previously regulated under Euro 6, such as nitrous oxide N2O.
Regulation is set to apply 30 months after entry into force for passenger cars and pickup trucks, with a further 48 months before new buses, trucks, and trailers must comply. Small-volume manufacturers will see the standard take effect on July 1, 2030 for cars and pickup trucks, and July 1, 2031 for buses and trucks.
A central innovation of the new regulation is the focus on emission limits from tires and brakes. For cars and trucks, a specific loop driving limit is set at 3 mg/km for fully electric vehicles and 7 mg/km for hybrids. The agreement also establishes tighter limits for heavy pickup trucks at 5 mg/km for fully electric models and 11 mg/km for other propulsion systems. Another major update involves minimum durability requirements for batteries in electric and hybrid cars and pickup trucks, with stricter service-life expectations based on mileage and reliability across all vehicle types.
The political agreement now awaits formal approval from both the Council and the European Parliament. Once finalized, a vehicle environmental passport will provide prospective buyers with clear environmental performance data at registration. This would include CO2 emissions, fuel or electricity consumption, electric range, and battery endurance, enabling consumers to compare the environmental footprint of different vehicles more easily. Attribution: EU negotiators and policy summaries.