EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/925

(2004/C 84 E/1023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0963/04

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 March 2004)

Subject: The Euro 4 standard and consequent restrictions on the fitting of particle traps to prevent the emission of small particulate matter from motor vehicle engines

1. Can the Commission confirm that little or no improvement may be expected over the next few years as regards the current level of emissions of particulate matter from cars, since most new private cars, including those where fuel consumption is comparatively high, will be able to comply with the Euro 4 standard in force in the EU without any specific measures being taken? That standard lays down that diesel engines for private cars and goods vehicles must emit less CO2 and nitrogen and that the maximum amount of particulate matter emitted by diesel-engined cars must be reduced from 0,5 gm to 0,025 gm, although no maximum emission values will be laid down for petrol engines with regard to particulate matter.

2. What is the Commission's assessment of the proposal put forward by experts that, henceforth, the crucial factor should be not one of maximum emissions of particulate matter calculated in grammes but of amount per kilometre, so that a standard of this type would have a greater impact on public health?

3. Is the Commission aware that the flexible standards in force from 2005 onwards will result in only a few motor vehicle manufacturers fitting their vehicles with the new traps which are now available — although, according to an inquiry commissioned by the national automobile associations of the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, they could reduce emissions to virtually zero — because that would entail a price increase of a few hundred euro per car, something which would hamper them in their attempts to increase their market share?

4. In the Commission's view, might more stringent regulation prompt manufacturers to fit particle traps in new cars, vans, goods vehicles and buses and coaches so that, in a few years' time, all vehicles would be so equipped? What action is it taking in this area?

5. Does the Commission agree with the Netherlands Junior Minister for the Environment that EU legislation is currently preventing countries from offering tax incentives to promote the use of particle traps? Why may they not do so? What can the Commission do to bring about a change in the situation?

Source: The 11 March 2004 edition of ‘De Volkskrant’, a Dutch newspaper

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-0962/04 and E-0963/04

given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is aware of the effects, as expressed by the Honourable Member, of small particulates to human health. In spite of the progress made in reducing particle emissions from transport and other sources, the ambient air concentrations are still high in many regions of the Union. In some areas they exceed the ambient air quality limits.

It should be borne in mind that emissions of particles from passenger cars and light duty vehicles are currently regulated by Directive 98/69/EC (1), and those from heavy duty vehicles are laid down in Directive 1999/96/EC (2). The limit values were established according to the recommendations from the Commission programme on air quality, road traffic emissions, fuels and engine technologies (the Auto/Oil Programme (3)). The measures taken will result in a decrease of particle emissions from road transport of about 90 % between 1995 and 2020.

The Directives mentioned above do not prescribe technology but set emission limit values. It is up to the manufacturers to develop and use the most appropriate technology in order to comply with the limits. However, it is correct to say that it will not be necessary to apply filter technology in all cases, e.g. the emission limit values for passenger cars and light duty vehicles which will come into force on 1 January 2005 can be met — as a rule — without using this technology. Only a number of relatively large passenger car models will need filter technology in order to comply with the limit value for particulates (0,025 grams per kilometre (g/km).

In principle, the Commission agrees with the view expressed by the Honourable Member that more needs to be done to address particle emissions, including the fraction of very small particles.

Therefore, the Commission is currently working on draft proposals for legislation on light and heavy duty vehicles aiming at further reducing emissions from these sources. Particle emissions are a key issue in this work. It is planned that measures will soon be proposed by the Commission and transmitted to the Parliament and the Council through the co-decision procedure.

Moreover, the Commission is actively participating in the Particulate Measuring Programme (PMP) that is currently under way within the framework of the United Nations/Economic Commission for Europe. The aim of PMP is to develop a new particulate evaluation and measurement system for application during the type approval testing of passenger cars, light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines for particulate emissions. The system would permit the development of future emission standards and the application of new emission reduction technologies, taking into account that not only the total mass but also the particle size and number may be important criteria with respect to health effects. The applicability of the system would not only be to diesel vehicles/engines but also to spark ignition engines at the low emission levels expected from advanced technologies that will be on the market in the near future.

(1) Directive 98/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC, OJ L 350, 28.12.1998.

(2) Directive 1999/96/EC of the European 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, OJ L 44, 16.2.2000.

(3) COM(2000) 626 final.