25 November 2022
by Sarah Morgan

European Commission proposes new standards to reduce vehicle emissions

The European Commission has presented a proposal to reduce air pollution from new motor vehicles, while keeping them affordable.

© Victor Sánchez Berruezo/Unsplash

The new Euro 7 emission standards will ensure that cars, vans, lorries and buses are much cleaner than under current rules, to meet the European Green Deal's zero-pollution ambition

It also contributes to achieving the new stricter air quality standards proposed by the Commission on 26 October 2022.

Road transport is the largest source of air pollution in cities. In 2018, more than 39% of nitrogen oxide and 10% of primary PM2.5 and PM10 emissions in the EU came from road transport.

In 2035, all cars and vans sold in the EU will have zero CO2-emissions.

The new requirements based on the Euro 7 standards will help to:

  • Better control emissions of air pollutants from all new vehicles
  • Update and tighten the limits for pollutant emissions
  • Regulate emissions from brakes and tyres
  • Ensure that new cars stay clean for longer
  • Support the deployment of electric vehicles
  • Make full use of digital possibilities

The Commission's proposal will be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council in view of its adoption by the co-legislators. 

'We cannot accept a society where exposure to air pollution is responsible for more than 300,000 premature deaths in the EU-27 alone annually.

'The new rules will help us breathe safer air and help the sector to become greener and more resilient,' says Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age.

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