Clean air plan for cities generates heated debate

Date: 26/09/1996

SLOWLY but surely, the battle lines are being drawn for what is certain to be a heated debate on plans to tackle air pollution from cars.

MEPs have been the target of intense lobbying since the European Commission adopted proposals stemming from the 'Auto-Oil Programme' in June.

Europia (the European Petroleum Industry Association) hosted a dinner in Strasbourg last week to explain its position to Euro MPs, and pronounced itself pleased with the response.

Admitting the measures will be hard for the refining sector to swallow, the industry nonetheless accepts they are “broadly consistent” with the conclusions of the Auto-Oil Programme, a joint project between the Commission and the car and oil industries which examined air quality in seven cities to gauge what emission standards would be needed to achieve targets for the next century.

Delays in translating and forwarding the official texts mean that it could be January or February before the European Parliament holds its first reading of the proposals.

But once their deliberations begin, MEPs are expected to push hard for tougher measures.

The Commission, under pressure from the car industry lobby, made significant changes to its ideas between December last year and the final adoption of the proposals.

German Socialist MEP Bernd Lange is expected to call for 2005 limits to be turned from indicative goals into firm legislative targets when he presents his report to the Parliament's environment committee.

He will also push for fiscal incentives to be built into the proposals to encourage manufacturers to go even further than the emission limits laid down by law.

In addition, pressure is growing for tougher curbs on emissions of sooty 'particulates' and ozone-producing nitrous oxides.

Lange is also looking at building non-technical measures, such as access passes to the most polluted cities, into the legislation.

As the proposal falls under the co-decision procedure, MEPs' attitudes will be crucial - and they will be looking to countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland for support in what is certain to be a protracted and bitter inter-institutional debate.

Although the ball now lies officially in the Parliament's court, member state officials have already begun sifting through what is an intensely complex piece of draft legislation, and the proposals will be discussed at environment ministers' meetings in October and December.

Agreement must also be reached on two other questions.

French radical MEP Noël Mamère has been appointed rapporteur for the Commission's proposals on fuel standards, while Dutch liberal Doeke Eisma will report on its general communication on air pollution from vehicles.