EU lawmakers have passed a compromise deal on emissions testing rules which backs on-road emissions tests, but allows carmakers to emit double the amount of harmful pollutant nitrogen oxide (NoX) than official standards.
In a vote taken yesterday in the European Parliament lawmakers narrowly rejected a proposal to block the compromise deal, which has been heavily criticised by environmental groups for failing to impose strict enough emissions standards.
Under Euro 6 legislation approved by the EU in 2007 and introduced in September 2015, new diesel cars are officially allowed to emit 80mg of NoX per km. The new deal approved by Parliament yesterday switches to a new on-road testing process that is designed to give more accurate results, but will effectively allow carmakers to produce cars that emit 168mg of NoX per km under Euro 6, and from 2020 new diesels will be allowed to emit 120mg of NoX per km.
The decision was fiercely criticised by campaign group Transport & Environment. "It's disgraceful that the most powerful countries in Europe think that keeping dirty diesel is good for their car industry while citizens are poisoned," said Transport & Environment clean vehicles director Greg Archer. "The European Commission and progressive members of the European Parliament have fought tooth and nail to prevent a bad outcome but this wasn't sufficient to counter the pressure from EU national governments."
Since the VW scandal broke in September - which revealed the carmaker had been systematically cheating emissions tests in the lab - regulators have been working to tighten up loopholes in testing procedures.
However, Member States fearful that too-strict emission laws will threaten the future of the diesel vehicle industry have been resistant to radical reform. Yesterday's vote approves a compromise package agreed by Member States in closed-door meetings in October, which will introduce new testing procedures and cut emissions, but still allow an overshoot to official limits.
Earlier this week the auto industry insisted the proposals approved today provide vital error margins to allow for variabilities in new testing equipment. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) added that the new proposals would deliver improved air quality in city centres and provide certainty for the industry.
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