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Road accident fatalities are not the only deaths caused by traffic. Vehicle pollution also kills, albeit more insidiously, and can be linked to thousands of deaths in the European Union each year - not to mention its contribution to the greenhouse effect. Starting in the early 1990s the EU set about reducing this pollution, with the European Parliament often managing to impose strict rules for reducing the harmfulness of fuels and encouraging the development of less polluting vehicles.
During the previous legislative term, the European Parliament had already had a major influence on a series of measures adopted in 1998 under the 'Auto-Oil' Programme to reduce pollutant emissions from motor vehicles. For MEPs, the key aim was to give binding effect to fuel quality standards and pollutant emission limit values. In exchange for making these values mandatory, they agreed to the slightly less strict levels proposed by the Member State governments, on the understanding that certain points would be reviewed during the following parliamentary term in the light of their impact.
Cleaner fuel
During the subsequent term, Parliament had first of all to adopt new rules on fuel quality. It ensured that petrol and diesel would be almost completely sulphur-free as from 2009. MEPs had, in 1998, already set the target standard for 2005 at 50 ppm (parts per million) of sulphur in fuels, which in itself represented a dramatic reduction in SO2 pollution. The new directive tightened up this requirement to 10 ppm as from 2009, or in other words two years earlier than the deadline set by the Commission. Sulphur-free fuels will be available on the market at the latest by 1 January 2005 and should be generally available by 1 January 2009. This type of fuel facilitates the use of advanced catalytic technologies and makes for a reduction in particulate emissions. Leaded petrol, for its part, must not be sold after 1 January 2005.
Parliament insisted that this new directive cover not only road vehicles but also off-road machines such as bulldozers and forestry and agricultural tractors, which are often highly polluting as things stand and in the long term will have to conform to the same standards as other vehicles. Parliament also saw to it that the Member States were asked to introduce tax incentives to encourage the use of cleaner fuels.
Less polluting vehicles
The two other proposals for directives covered by the agreement were geared to reducing exhaust gas emissions from motor vehicles and light commercial vehicles. Thanks to Parliament's efforts, mandatory standards were adopted that were stricter than those applied in third countries. Moreover, implementation of these standards was not purely limited to new vehicles, as the scope of the directive included all in-service petrol and diesel engines. Besides this, additional emphasis was placed on the devices designed to ensure durability (diagnostic systems).
In the case of passenger vehicles, Parliament focused on the need to install on board diagnostic (OBD) systems with a view to control of the operational life-span of anti-pollution equipment. At Parliament's request, anti-pollution equipment must, as from 2005, remain effective for at least 100 000 km or five years. The text agreed also incorporated an amendment by Parliament on the introduction of a 'cold start' test procedure.
Parliament considers that a voluntary agreement on reducing CO2 emissions should be concluded with the motor industry, but has insisted that the Commission envisage introducing compulsory legislation should these negotiations fail.
The third directive, concerning the reduction of emissions from light commercial vehicles, covers the delivery vehicles used in towns and cities, where it is particularly important to improve air quality. Many of the provisions of the 'passenger transport' directive could also be applied to delivery vehicles. However, the fact that these vehicles' engines are of a different design has meant that many parameters have had to be adjusted.
With regard to the future, the Commission cannot bring forward any proposals to alter the mandatory parameters for 2005, which can only be 'adjusted' in the light of technical progress and the oil supply situation.
Two- and three-wheel vehicles too
Although two- and three-wheel vehicles only represent 2 to 3% of the traffic in Europe, they generate 15% of transport pollution emissions. Motorcycles, like cars, will have to be 'cleaner' as from 2006. Parliament and the Council had to enter into negotiations before reaching agreement on a range of stringent measures in March 2002. As in the case of cars, Parliament achieved its main objective, which was to set binding emission limits, applicable as from 2006, for two- and three-wheel vehicles. MEPs also ensured stringent requirements were introduced as regards emission-control devices, which must function correctly for at least 30 000 km.
Recycling of end-of-life vehicles
It is not only when they are on the road that vehicles generate pollution. End-of-life cars amounting to almost nine million tonnes of waste accumulate in Europe every year! Almost three-quarters of this waste is, of course, already recycled in the form of scrap metal. That leaves the plastic, rubber, oil and heavy metals, which constitute a danger to the environment. Motor vehicles are the source of almost 10% of the dangerous waste generated in the EU each year. What could be done about this? The EP had asked the Commission as long ago as 1992 to bring forward legislation on this matter. A draft directive was sent to Parliament in 1997 and was finally adopted, at the end of the conciliation procedure with the Council, in 2000.
Agreement was only reached following laborious negotiations. From the outset, MEPs set ambitious objectives for the recovery and reuse of the waste generated. They also wanted the elimination of heavy metals to be covered by the directive, vintage cars to be excluded from the scope of the directive and recycling charges to be met by the manufacturer rather than the final user. The EP broadly won out on all these points following tough talks with the Council. The last owner of a vehicle will be able to return it free of charge. For cars placed on the market after 1 July 2002 manufacturers will be liable immediately, while in the case of older vehicles manufacturers have until 2007 to meet their obligations.
The use of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium in vehicle manufacture has been prohibited since 1 January 2003. As from 1 January 2006 (MEPs wanted this to be 2005 but granted the industry an additional year to adapt), at least 85% of the weight of a vehicle must be recoverable and 80% reusable or recyclable. These percentages will rise to 95% and 85% as from 2015. In accordance with Parliament's wishes, vintage cars, namely historic vehicles or vehicles of value to collectors or intended for museums, are not subject to this directive.
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