WRITTEN QUESTION E-1178/03

by Brice Hortefeux (PPE-DE)and Christine De Veyrac (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 April 2003)

Subject: Commission proposal concerning Directive 1999/96/EC

Pursuant to Directive 1999/96/EC(1), by 31 December 2000 the Commission was to submit a proposal to Parliament and the Council confirming or complementing this directive, with the aim of clarifying the points included in its Article 7,

in particular:

- the development of compression ignition engine and gas engine emission control technology, taking into account the interdependence of such technology with fuel quality;

- the need to improve the accuracy of the current measurement and sampling procedures for very low levels of particulates from engines;

- rules laying down the introduction of an OBD system for heavy-duty vehicles from 1 October 2005;

- appropriate limits for pollutants currently non-regulated as a consequence of the widespread introduction of new alternative fuels.

It is clear, unfortunately, that this timetable has not been adhered to. As this proposal comes under the codecision procedure, any further delay would give rise to concern.

This being so, can the Commission state whether a new timetable has been adopted and what provisions have been made to give the industries concerned sufficient time to comply with the new legislation?

(1) OJ L 44, 16.2.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2003)

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Members to its reply to Written Questions P-0628/03 by Mrs Grossetête(1) and P-1031/03 by Mrs Darras(2).

The Commission proposal to amend Directive 1999/96/EC(3) is in the final stages of preparation and adoption. This delay is a consequence of the need to reconstruct the way in which proposals in the field of automotive construction are made to improve the efficiency of the decision making process, to take account of the need to update and simplify the Community acquis(4) and to take account of recent inter-institutional agreements.

As such, the existing annexes laid down in Council Directive 88/77/EEC of 3 December 1987(5) and the amendments necessary to introduce the new technical requirements required by Directive 1999/96/EC are being recast according to the Inter-Institutional Agreement of 28 November 2001 between the Parliament, Council and Commission on a more structured use of the recasting technique for legal acts(6).

It is envisaged that the Commission will adopt the proposal for a Directive within about three months.

(1) JO C 222 E, 18.9.2003, p. 222.

(2) OJ C 222 E, 18.9.2003, p. 246.

(3) Directive 1999/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles, and the emission of gaseous pollutants from positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in vehicles and amending Council Directive 88/77/EEC.

(4) COM(2003) 71 final.

(5) OJ L 36, 9.2.1988.

(6) Inter-institutional Agreement of 28 November 2001 on a more structured use of the recasting technique for legal acts OJ C 77, 28.3.2002.