G/TBT/N/NZL/124  
15 May 2023  
(23-3382) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Ministry of Transport – Te Manatu Waka  
Phone: +64 4 439 9000  
Email: info@transport.govt.nz  
Address: 3 Queens Wharf, Wellington 6011  
Website: www.transport.govt.nz   
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
TBT Enquiry Point of New Zealand  
Standards New Zealand,  
Phone: +64 4 498 5990  
Email: wto@standards.co.nz  
Website: www.standards.govt.nz   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Light 
vehicles, including those under HS8703; Heavy vehicles, includ ing those under HS8704; 
Motorcycles and mopeds including those under HS8711; Special Purpose Motor Vehicles 
HS8705; Vehicles for disabled persons, including those under HS8713  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  1. Euro 6/VI 
Consultation document  
2. DRAFT Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment 2023  
6. Description of content:  The New Zealand Government is proposing to phase -in new 
emissions standards for the following groups of vehicles (when they are im ported into the 
country): light vehicles, heavy vehicles, motorcycles/mopeds, and used disability 
vehicles. The emissions standards would be phased -in over five years.  
The relevant proposals include:  
· Shifting the minimum requirement for used imports  from Euro 4/IV to Euro 5/V from 1 
Feb 2024, including for disability vehicles;  
· Phasing in the shift from Euro 5/V to Euro 6/VI on used imports and new vehicles 
(including new disability vehicles)  in several steps, between late 2024 and the start of 
2028. G/TBT/N/NZL/124  
 
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  · Allowing more time for used disability vehicles, which will shift to Euro 6d from 1 January 
2028 at the latest.  
· Introducing an emissions requirement for mopeds and motorcycles. Requiring Euro 4 
from 1 Feb 2025 and then Euro 5 from 1 Jan 2027.  
Aotearo a New Zealand currently accepts the use of several regional standards (European, 
Japanese, American, and Australian) and global standards (United Nations Economic 
Commission for Europe (UNECE [1])) to demonstrate emissions levels. T his approach shall 
continue where broad equivalence is possible.  
The proposed Amendment Rule change also includes some minor technical changes to 
outdated and redundant information in the rule.  
[1] United Nations Economic Commis sion for Europe  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The objective of this measure is to reduce domestic motor vehicle pollution 
by requiring vehicle imports to meet stronger emissions standards, with a view to 
reducing the health impacts of domestic motor vehicle pollution.  
The World Health Organization (WHO) sets guidelines for air quality, including stating 
limits for harmful emissions, such as nitrogen dioxide, which should not be exceeded. In 
2006, 2 4 percent of the population in Aotearoa New Zealand were living in areas where 
nitrogen dioxide concentration in the air exceeded the WHO guidelines. In 2016, this 
increased to 31 percent of the population. Exposure to these harmful emissions have been 
found to contribute to premature deaths in New Zealand. For Pacific peoples the rates 
were even higher, increasing from 43 percent to 54 percent. By contrast, in Europe the 
levels of transport -related pollution are reducing. [1] 
Aotear oa New Zealand and Australia are among the only remaining developed countries 
that are yet to move to Euro 6/VI. The world's three largest auto -markets are now moving 
beyond Euro 6/VI and onto the next generation of even stronger standards, Euro 7 (China 
in 2023, Europe over 2025 -2027, the U.S. in 2027).  
Estimates show that moving to the Euro 6/VI standards will lower the permitted level of 
nitrogen oxides in vehicle exhaust emissions by about 56 percent for light diesel vehicles 
and 80 percent for heavy ve hicles compared to Euro 5/V (which is the current requirement 
for new vehicles). Euro 6/VI will also lower the permitted levels of particulate matter and 
introduce more accurate testing practices, leading to better real -world emission 
reductions. [2],[3],[4] If adopted, the proposed Amendment Rule change is expected to 
save between $3.8 and $6.7 billion in social costs in New Zealand by 2050.  
 
[1] https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/health -impacts -of-exposure -to-human -made -air-
pollution/  
[2] Euro 6 Evaluation Report (European Commissi on, 2022)  
[3] Remote sensing of heavy -duty vehicle emissions in Europe (The ICCT, 2022)  
[4] Euro 6e: Changes to the European Union light duty vehicle type -approval procedure 
(The ICCT, 2022); Protection of human health or safety; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
Consultation document: Proposed Amendments to the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle 
Exhaust Emissions 2007  
DRAFT Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment 2023  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Proposed date of adoption (publication in the New Zealand 
Gazette) is Sep tember 2023.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Details of the proposed phasing and entry into force 
dates are set out in tables 1, 2, 3 and 8 on pages 4 – 7 and 29 of the consultation 
document.  G/TBT/N/NZL/124  
 
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  10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
www.transport.govt.nz/area -of-interest/environment -and-climate -change/harmful -
vehicle -emissions/