Czechia behind push to weaken car pollution standards – EURACTIV

The Czech Republic, heavily reliant on the car industry, has led a coalition of states including France, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia in pushing for a more lenient version of the European Commission’s Euro 7 proposal. This move, which aims to give the industry more time to prepare for new pollution standards, was echoed by the Czech government at the Council level.

On Thursday, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) adopted a watered-down version of the proposal, with a 52:32 vote in favor. The proposal, endorsed by EU competitiveness ministers on 25 September, requires carmakers to reduce emissions from new vehicles but allows more time for the transition. Specifically, emission limits for cars and vans would remain at the current Euro 6 standard, with slightly tighter limits for trucks.

The proposal approved by the ENVI Committee provides even longer transition periods, meaning Euro 7 could come into force after 2030. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the proposal in November, with the aim of concluding interinstitutional trilogue meetings by the end of the year.

For more details, you can read the original article on Euractiv.