6.7.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 178/9 
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 70/220/EEC on the approximation 
of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by 
gases from engines of motor vehicles 
(COM(84) 226 final) 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 6 June 1984) 
(84/C 178/06) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 100 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the first programme of action of the 
European Community on the protection of the 
environment, approved by the Council on 22 
November 1973, called for account to be taken of the 
latest scientific advances in combating atmospheric 
pollution caused by gases emitted from motor vehicles 
and for the Directives already adopted to that end to 
be amended accordingly; whereas the third action 
programme provides for further efforts to be made to 
bring about a considerable reduction in the present 
level of pollutant-emission from motor vehicles; 
Whereas Directive 70/220/EEC (*) lays down the 
limit values for carbon monoxide and unburnt hydro­
carbon emissions from such engines; whereas these 
limit values were first reduced by Directive 74/290/ 
EEC (2) and supplemented, in accordance with 
Directive 771102/EEC (3), by limit values for 
permissible emissions of nitrogen oxides; whereas the 
limit values for these three pollutants were further 
lowered by Directives 78/665/EEC (4) and 83/351/ 
EEC(5); 
Whereas the activities undertaken by the Commission 
as part of its overall approach to the development of 
(') OJNoL76, 6. 4. 1970, p. 1. 
O OJ No L 159, 15. 6. 1974, p. 61. 
O OJ No L 32, 3. 2. 1977, p. 32. 
O OJ No L 223, 14. 8. 1978, p. 48. 
(') OJ No L 197, 20. 7. 1983, p. 1. regulations in the motor vehicles sector have shown 
that the European industry is already in possession of, 
or is currently perfecting engine technologies which 
will allow a further reduction in the limit values; 
whereas, during the period in question, such a 
reduction will not compromise the objectives of 
Community policy in other fields, in particular the 
area concerning rational use of energy; 
Whereas it is the Community's duty to implement 
Directives which are aimed at protecting the 
environment and, in the case of vehicle emissions, at 
producing values that are adapted to European 
conditions and correspond to those in force at present 
in the United States and Japan; whereas this also 
comes under the heading of innovation and industrial 
competitiveness; whereas, in order to attain this 
objective, it would be advisable to proceed via two 
stages in order to allow the industry to adjust to the 
new Community regulations under the most appro­
priate technical and economic conditions; whereas the 
limit values for the first stage will be based on the 
technical provisions contained in the annexes to this 
Directive and whereas the technical measures 
required to achieve the limit values in the second 
stage will be adopted by the Council by the end of 
1988, on the basis of a proposal from the 
Commission; 
Whereas the petrol engines of all the vehicles subject 
to the provisions of this Directive must be designed to 
run exclusively on lead-free petrol in order to bring 
an end to the use of lead-based additives in fuels, 
thereby helping to reduce considerably environmental 
pollution by this element; 
Whereas subject to compliance with the rules of the 
Treaty, Member States will be allowed to adopt the 
new values laid down in the Directive prior to the 
stipulated date; whereas clearly, however, Member 
States that take up this option must not prohibit 
either the marketing or use of domestically produced 
or imported vehicles which satisfy existing 
Community requirements. 
No C 178/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 7. 84 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
Annexes I, III and VI to Directive 70/220/EEC are 
amended in accordance with the Annex to this 
Directive. 
Article 2 
1. From 1 January 1986, no Member State may, on 
grounds relating to air pollution by engine gases or to 
the engine fuel requirements: 
— refuse to grant EEC type-approval or to issue the 
document referred to in the last indent of Article 
10 (1) of Directive 70/156/EEC or to grant 
national type-approval for a type of motor 
vehicle, or 
— prohibit the entry into service of such vehicles, 
where the level of gaseous pollutants emitted from 
this type of motor vehicle or from such vehicles and 
the engine fuel requirements are in accordance with 
the provisions of Directive 70/220/EEC, as amended 
by this Directive. 
2. From 1 October 1989, Member States: 
— shall no longer issue the document provided for in 
the last indent of Article 10 (1) of Directive 
70/156/EEC in respect of a type of motor vehicle 
whose emissions of gaseous pollutants and engine 
fuel requirements are not in accordance with the 
provisions of the Annexes to Directive 70/220/ 
EEC, as last amended by this Directive, 
— may refuse national type-approval for a type of 
motor vehicle, whose emissions of gaseous 
pollutants and engine fuel requirements are not in 
accordance with the provisions of the Annexes to 
Directive 70/220/EEC, as last amended by this 
Directive. 
3. From 1 October 1991, Member States may 
prohibit the entry into service of vehicles, whose 
emissions of gaseous pollutants and engine fuel 
requirements are not in accordance with the 
provisions of the Annexes to Directive 70/220/EEC, 
as last amended by this Directive. Article 3 
1. From 1 October 1995, Member States, on 
grounds relating to air pollution by gases from an 
engine or to engine fuel requirements: 
— shall no longer grant EEC type-approval or issue 
the document provided for in the last indent of 
Article 10 (1) of Directive 70/156/EEC for a type 
of motor vehicle, 
— may refuse to grant national type-approval for a 
type of motor vehicle, or 
— may prohibit the initial entry into service of such 
vehicles where the level of emissions from this 
type of motor vehicle or from such vehicles 
exceed: 
— x g/test for the mass of carbon monoxide, 
— y g/test for the combined mass of hydro­
carbons and nitrogen oxides, 
— z g/test for the mass of nitrogen oxides ('), 
and the engine fuel requirements are not in 
accordance with the provisions of Directive 70/220/ 
EEC, as last amended by this Directive. 
2. By 31 December 1988, the Council shall adopt, 
by a qualified majority, the following proposals by 
the Commission, the necessary technical decisions 
implementing the measures referred to in paragraph 
1. 
Article 4 
Member States shall bring into force the necessary 
provisions in order to comply with this Directive not 
later than 1 January 1986 and shall forthwith inform 
the Commission thereof. 
Article 5 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
(') To be completed by the Commission by 30 September 
1984. 
6.7.84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 178/11 
ANNEX 
Amendments to the Annexes to Directive 70/220/EEC: 
ANNEX I 
Point 3.2.4 is added as follows: 
'3.2.4. Description of the measures taken to prevent the vehicle from being supplied with 
(lead-containing) petrol not conforming to Article 6 of Directive / /EEC 
(amending Directive 78/611/EEC concerning the lead content of petrol).' 
Point 5.1: The existing text will come under 5.1.1. 
A new point 5.1.2 is added as follows: 
'5.1.2. The vehicle must be designed to run on (lead-free) petrol as specified in Article 6 of 
Directive .../.. ./EEC (amending Directive 78/611/EEC concerning the lead content 
of petrol).' 
Point 5.2.1.1.4 reads: 
'5.2.1.1.4. Subject to the provisions of points 5.2.1.1.4.2 and 5.2.1.1.5 above, the tests shall be 
performed three times. For a vehicle of a given reference weight, the mass of carbon 
monoxide, the combined mass of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and the mass of 
nitrogen oxides obtained must be less than the values given below: 
Mass of carbon monoxide (LI): 45 g/test 
Combined mass of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (L2): 15 g/test 
Mass of nitrogen oxides (L3): 6 g/test' 
In points 5.2.1.1.4.1, 5.2.1.1.4.2, 5.2.1.1.5.1 and 5.2.1.1.5.2, the phrase 'and the mass (emission) 
of nitrogen oxides' is added to the phrase 'combined mass (emissions) of hydrocarbons and 
nitrogen oxides', each time it occurs. 
The table in point 7.1.1.1 is replaced by: 
'Mass of carbon monoxide (LI): 54 g/test 
Combined mass of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (L2): 19 g/test 
Mass of nitrogen oxides (L3): 7,5 g/test' 
The second paragraph of point 7.1.1.2 now reads: 
'L: Limit value referred to in point 7.1.1.1 for the emissions of carbon monoxide, the 
combined emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and the emissions of nitrogen 
oxides;' 
Point 8.1 reads: 
'8.1. For the type-approval and checking of production conformity of vehicles other than 
those of category Mi as well as vehicles of category Mi designed to carry more than six 
occupants including the driver, the limit values given in tables in 5.2.1.1.4 and 7.1.1.1 of 
Directive 70/220/EEC, as amended by Directive 83/351/EEC, shall apply'. 
No C 178/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 6.7.84 
ANNEX III 
Point 3.1.7 is deleted. 
ANNEX VI 
(Characteristics of reference fuel) 
The table in point 1 is replaced by the following table ('): 
(') To be completed by the Commission by 30 September 1984.