New Auto-Oil plan puts onus on industry

Date: 28/05/1998

By Simon Coss

FACTORIES, power stations and chemical plants are likely to be the next targets of the Commission's campaign to clean up the air Europeans breathe.

The second stage of the institution's 'Auto-Oil' programme is set to tackle pollution from 'large stationary sources'.

The original Auto-Oil scheme brought together representatives from the car and oil industries to work out ways of reducing pollution from road transport.

After four years of intensive talks, the Commission formally unveiled a package of Auto-Oil measures in June 1996 designed to reduce emissions of a whole range of pollutants by 60-70&percent; by the year 2010.

Its proposals were subsequently toughened up first by the Council of Ministers and still further by the European Parliament, and are now the subject of impending conciliation talks between the two institutions.

The original package was, only seen as a first step towards meeting the 2010 air-quality targets. The Auto-Oil II programme now under discussion aims to produce a new series of clean air measures to be adopted by the Commission by 1999 and come into force by 2005.

Unlike the first scheme, this initiative will take into account pollution from power stations, chemical plants and factories.

While the Commission claims it is more likely to suggest ways industry can clean up its act than put forward legislative proposals, EU businesses are likely to greet its recommendations with scepticism.

The oil industry claims the existing Auto-Oil proposals represent the best balance between cost and clean air possible and suggests tougher measures will result in consumers paying more for their fuel without noticing any real improvement in air quality.

Industry in general argues the best approach is for companies and national authorities to reach mutual anti-pollution agreements on a 'factory by factory' basis.