European parliamentarians have decided to adopt measures to cut emissions from cars that could soon be introduced in the UK, GB News reports.
Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday adopted new EU rules aimed at reducing pollution from cars, vans, buses, lorries and trailers. 297 MEPs voted in favour, 190 against and 37 abstained from introducing Euro-7 emissions standards.
The move was praised as it will ensure vehicles are cleaner throughout their life cycle and allow them to meet the standards for a longer period of time.
Current Euro-6 test conditions, which are used to restrict more polluting vehicles from entering clean air zones, and exhaust emission limits will remain in place.
For the first time, EU standards will include a range of braking particulate matter (PM10) emission limits for cars and vans, as well as minimum battery life requirements for hybrids and electric vehicles. However, the new rules have been described as relaxed compared to the original plans.
Previously, the European Commission had proposed tougher restrictions from 2025 for cars and from mid-2027 for lorries and buses.
Once formally approved by EU countries, the new Euro-7 guidelines are expected to be introduced from July 2030 for cars and vans and 12 months later for buses and trucks.
Alexandr Vondra, an MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists group, welcomed the adoption of the new Euro-7 standard, hinting that it will be part of a wider plan to reform the continent’s automotive industry.
The Czech MEP continued, saying:
We have successfully struck a balance between environmental goals and the vital interests of manufacturers. We want to ensure the affordability of new smaller cars with internal combustion engines for domestic customers and at the same time enable the automotive industry to prepare for the expected transformation of the sector. The EU will now also be addressing emissions from brakes and tyres and ensuring higher battery durability.
Experts believe that the UK, despite leaving the EU, will also adopt the new Euro-7 standards as soon as they are officially adopted. UK manufacturers are likely to retain the emissions standards in order to standardise the industry and make it easier to import and export without having to produce different cars.
Vondra called it a “big win” and said the availability of new, cheaper internal combustion engine cars would continue in the coming years. He added:
We will return to a larger revision of the 2035 ban after the elections in a better European Parliament.
France, Italy and the Czech Republic, Europe’s largest carmakers, have previously pushed for a relaxation of Euro emissions standards.
