On Thursday, Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the renewal of EU rules on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles (Euro 7) with 329 votes in favour, 230 against and 41 abstentions. The legislation intervenes on limits for exhaust gas emissions (such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and ammonia), on tire and brake emissions and on battery life.
For polluting emissions from cars, MEPs supported the levels proposed by the Commission and proposed an additional breakdown of emissions into three categories for light commercial vehicles based on their weight. For exhaust emissions from buses and heavy-duty vehicles, they adopted stricter limits than those proposed. Emissions will also need to be measured in the laboratory and in real driving conditions.
Parliament wants to align EU calculation methodologies and maximum thresholds for brake particle emissions and tire abrasion rates with international standards currently being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe United. Finally, the text provides for higher minimum battery life requirements for cars and vans than those proposed by the Commission.
“We cannot but express our appreciation for what the European Parliament has decided today on the Euro 7 proposal, because we are convinced that the fruitful discussion of these months has served to make many political decision-makers understand the complexity and in some cases the irrationality of parts of the proposal made by the Commission.
Our observations and proposals had this aim, to trace another step in the transition path of our supply chain with an overall regulatory vision, so as not to risk slowing it down, but rather stimulate it in a pragmatic and rational way.
We are confident that in the latest trilogue negotiations we can continue along this path”, declared Roberto Vavassori, president of ANFIA.