France says no to Euro-7 standard, limiting emissions for all motor vehicles
Eight countries of the European Union, namely the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, have joined forces to oppose the new Euro 7 standard which will regulate emissions from motor vehicles.
In a joint document, 8 countries including France expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed emission limits, which they consider unachievable. The non-paper was submitted to the Swedish EU Presidency and the European Commission, expressing their opposition to the implementation of new exhaust emission requirements for cars and vans.
The Euro-7 standard, proposed by the European Commission in November, aims to consolidate existing Euro-6 standards for passenger cars and the Euro VI standards for commercial vehicles in an overall framework. It should apply to all types of vehicles, whether diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric, and take into account emissions from brake abrasion and microplastics released from tyres. Euro-7 standards aim to strengthen regulations on pollutants other than CO2, in particular nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.
Some European countries want to delay the adoption of zero-emission vehicles
The countries involved in this resistance want to retain the EU’s earlier commitment to phase out combustion engines by 2035. While the EU’s proposal calls for the Euro-7 emission standard will come into force in July 2025 for cars and in July 2027 for trucksthe coalition argues for a delay of at least three years for cars and five years for trucks.
According to the signatories, the Euro-7 standard would hamper investments by the automotive industry aimed at achieving the goal of zero CO2 emissions for passenger cars by 2035. They say that the proposed limits are excessively strict and question their feasibility. Although Germany is not currently part of the alliance, Czech Republic Transport Minister Martin Kupka expects other countries to join in the future. This would in particular increase the pressure on the European Commission to reconsider the proposed emission limits.
Automakers expect price hikes
Opponents of Euro-7, mainly automakers, argue that the regulations are costly and unnecessary since the industry is already investing heavily in zero-emission electric vehicles. However, the European Commission considers these regulations to be vital for reducing harmful emissions and prevent the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal from happening again.
Industry associations such as the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) and the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) share the concerns expressed by the dissenting countries. They believe that theNew regulations could hamper the transition to zero-emission transport And significantly increase vehicle costs.
While resistance is mainly focused on passenger cars, discussions regarding regulations for commercial vehicles, trucks and buses are ongoing. Some bus manufacturers, including Daimler, have already announced their intention to abandon Euro-7 standards in favor of zero-emission buses by 2030. They emphasize the need to clarify the path to decarbonization instead of delaying it further.
Emmanuel Macron wants a balance to protect the industry
Emmanuel Macron has suggested a pause in EU climate regulation, stressing the need to strike a balance between environmental objectives and the economic impact on the automotive sector.
The resistance to Euro-7 comes at a time when EU member states have already had to deal with an influx of environmental regulations aimed at steer the Union towards climate neutrality by 2050. This saturation of regulations has raised concerns in some countries that stricter measures could hamper economic growth and lead to job losses in the automotive industry.
