European Union ministers have reached a consensus to revise the European Commission’s proposal on Euro 7 vehicle emissions. This decision comes following concerns expressed by automakers and eight member countries, including France and Italy, who believed that the proposed changes might redirect investments away from electric vehicles (EVs).
In light of these concerns, EU member states have agreed to maintain the existing test conditions and emissions limits for cars and vans under the Euro 6 standard. However, these limits will be lowered for buses and heavy vehicles. Additionally, the ministers have embraced new regulations specifying particle emissions limits for brakes and tyres.
The compromise text, which was presented by Spain, the current holder of the EU presidency, was approved by the Council of the European Union, consisting of government ministers from all member states. The next step involves negotiations among the Council, the European Parliament, and the European Commission to finalise the new regulations.
The Council suggests a number of pragmatic changes to the Commission proposal while also keeping in mind environmental and health objectives. Among other things:
- the Council position keeps existing test conditions and emissions limits (as established in Euro 6) for M1 and N1 vehicles (private passenger cars and vans)
- in the case of M2 and M3 vehicles (buses and coaches), and N2 and N3 vehicles (heavy commercial vehicles), emission limits are lower and test conditions slightly adjusted, in comparison with Euro 6/VI
- the Council text strengthens the alignment of brake particle emission limits and tyre abrasion rate limits with international standards adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
- it takes into account the newly proposed 2030 zero-CO2 emissions target for urban buses
- it also sets clear deadlines for the adoption of implementing acts (by the Commission) in order to provide economic operators with clarity and legal certainty
Hector Gomez Hernandez, Spain’s acting minister for industry, trade, and tourism, expressed confidence in the proposal, stating, “We believe that, with this proposal, we achieved broad support, a balance in the investment costs of the manufacturing brands, and we improve the environmental benefits derived from this regulation.”
Countries such as Italy, France, and the Czech Republic had advocated for less stringent rules, primarily due to concerns that the proposed limits on pollutants like nitrous oxides in combustion engines could divert resources and development efforts away from EVs.
Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso welcomed the decision to dilute the Euro 7 standards, “The new regulation, at Italian request, makes it possible to safeguard the automotive supply chain of small-volume manufacturers, the high range typical of Italian production such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, symbols of ‘Made in Italy’ that produce around 50,000 cars a year,” he said.
The compromise was also well-received by the Italian automotive industry lobby group ANFIA, with its president, Roberto Vavassori, describing it as a “pragmatic and rational approach.”
European automakers had previously argued that the implementation of Euro 7, scheduled for 2025, would impose excessive costs with minimal environmental benefits. Executives from prominent car manufacturers, including Renault and Stellantis, voiced concerns that Euro 7 could divert investments toward combustion engines at the expense of EVs and lead to higher prices for smaller vehicles, potentially affecting less affluent households.
The European Union has been progressively tightening emission limits for road vehicles since the introduction of the Euro 1 standard in 1992.
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has welcomed the European Council’s general approach on Euro 7. The IRU and the road transport sector have pushed for a more pragmatic approach to emission standards, with better balancing overall costs and benefits.
Raluca Marian
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “We welcome the Council’s decision to balance environmental performance with the cost of upgrading technologies. The benefits of the Euro 7 proposed by the European Commission would have been incremental and minor in comparison to the costs of enacting the standards.
“We are particularly pleased that EU countries agreed to keep existing Euro 6 testing conditions and partially lowered emission limits for some categories of heavy-duty vehicles, although further improvement is expected from the European Parliament.
“Data remains a weak spot of the proposal. Even when done anonymously, transferring data over-the-air exposes transport companies to cybersecurity risks. It can also lead to competitive disadvantages for small- and medium-sized operators. Larger companies can still use and analyse anonymous data to determine average fuel consumption on specific roads and adapt accordingly,” she added.
