Europe failing to catch up with US car emission cuts

Europe next week risks missing its last chance to catch up with the US when it comes to cutting air pollution from cars, according to environmentalists.

Members of the European Parliament on 14 December will attempt to strike a first reading deal on proposals to cut emissions of dangerous air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), with a vote on next-generation emission standards for cars.

The new standards, labelled Euro 5, would impose maximum emission thresholds for pollutants from September 2009. Preliminary Euro 6 standards from 2014 would also be adopted.

But conservationists said the thresholds proposed would make it impossible for EU manufacturers to sell cars in California and nine other US states before 2019 at the earliest.

The European Parliament report, expected to be adopted next week, sets maximum NOx emissions at 180 milligrams per kilometre (mg/km) for diesel cars in 2009, compared to 40mg/km in California next year. A Euro 6 threshold of 80mg/km is also proposed for 2014.

"European car manufacturers have an opportunity to develop the latest US technologies and conquer the world," said Jos Dings of Transport and Environment (T&E), the conservation group.

Instead, the text to be voted on by Parliament would make the chance of reaching standards in line with California unlikely before 2019, delaying real market impact until 2025, predicted Dings.

Tehri Lehtonen, adviser to the Parliament’s Green Party, said "a substantial number" of cars in Europe already met Euro 5 standards. "Euro 5 would just maintain the status quo." The Greens would like to see at least a 60mg/km target in place by 2012 at the latest.

ACEA, the European car manufacturers’ association, said that manufacturers needed at least five years to implement each set of Euro standards and is hoping for a long timeframe to adjust to the more ambitious Euro 6 thresholds.

Sigrid de Vries of ACEA said her group "valued" EU efforts to reach a first-reading deal on emission standards, which would give industry "more predict-ability" when it came to developing new models.

ACEA has doubts about the impact assessment used to support the Euro 6 thresholds. It estimates that the new standards would raise diesel car prices, and decrease sales by far more than the 5% suggested by Commission analyses.

The industry group also expects at least a 6% increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars as drivers switch from diesel to gasoline cars.

Technologies used to reduce NOx and particulate emissions also increase CO2, according to experts.

Europe next week risks missing its last chance to catch up with the US when it comes to cutting air pollution from cars, according to environmentalists.