T&E says if the new standard remains unchanged, it will allow European car makers to sell dirtier diesel cars in their home market than they export to buyers in the USA.

The news came as the Commission’s CARS 21 high level group published its 10-year “road map” for European car regulation.

T&E director Jos Dings said: “Instead of giving us a plan to clean up new cars, the group has simply dismantled or watered down elements of the existing strategy. Commissioner Verheugen, the chairman of the group, has repeatedly called for Europe to produce the ‘cleanest cars in the world’, but the EU is further from reaching this goal today than it was before Cars-21 was set up.”

T&E is also worried that the 10-year road map published earlier this month makes no reference to a Euro-6 proposal.

In the responses to the Commission’s consultation on Euro-5 emission limits for passenger cars and light duty vehicles, Denmark’s environmental protection agency called for guideline Euro-6 limits to be included in the forthcoming Euro-5 legislation. It said it was important to give long-term signals to industry, especially regarding nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel cars. It added that many new vehicles already meet Euro-5 limits, so an indication of Euro-6 limits would be helpful.

This news story is taken from the December 2005 edition of T&E Bulletin.