Car manufacturers persuaded the European Parliament to vote for a more realistic approach to Euro 7 than the European Commission proposed in its draft.
Auto brands and governments in a number of countries have proposed weakening the proposed reforms. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association ACEA defended the interests of the automotive industry the most.. Its experts argued that the Euro 7 standard requires significant investments for vehicle manufacturers to decarbonize and that now is not the time.
In such a complex geopolitical and economic environment with soaring energy prices, supply chain shortages, inflationary pressures and lagging consumer demand, this is too difficult to do.
“Europe needs a proportionate Euro 7 standard that would balance environmental concerns and industrial competitiveness. There is no doubt about the industry's commitment to improving air quality. This is why the automotive industry has already invested significant resources in the latest Euro 6/VI standards regarding pollutants. This investment has paid off,” explained ACEA CEO Sigrid de Vries.
Car manufacturers and some European countries are convinced that with the EU already facing a 2035 deadline to stop selling CO2-emitting cars, Europe should focus only on producing electric vehicles rather than improving the current environmental impact of diesel and petrol engines.
The European auto industry remains with internal combustion engines and Euro 6 for several more years. Photo: fuelsandlubes.com
The European Parliament has listened and is now rewriting the original Euro 7 air pollution rules governing emissions for ICE vehicles of all types.. The interim approval eliminates more ambitious requirements precisely under pressure from some governments and automakers that the previous plan is unattainable.
ACEA constantly defended the interests of the auto industry during negotiations in order to not allow the disproportionate Euro 7 standard to derail the progress already achieved by manufacturers. Goals achieved. The European Union retreated from the proposed wording, actually rejecting the original version of the text on the environmental standard for cars Euro 7. The requirements will be relaxed and the deadlines will be postponed.
Next, the European Parliament, having approved a weakened version of the Euro 7 rules, begins negotiations to finalize the document with the European Commission and the European Council, including top ministers of EU countries. Approval could come as soon as early 2024, with regulations likely to come into force in 2026 for passenger cars and 2027 for heavy trucks.
ACEA has already put forward its proposals for the new rules, considering when developing more advanced environmental standard requirements to consider the issue of emissions from brakes and tires. In the era of electric vehicles, they will be the main source of harmful emissions. However, non-exhaust emissions testing methods are completely new and untested, and it is necessary to provide a technical basis for such measurements.