Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Council of the European Union adopted on Monday its position (“general approach”) on the regulation proposed by the Commission for type approval of motor vehicles and engines, systems, components and separate technical units assigned to these vehicles, with regard to their emissions and battery durability, known as Euro 7.
The new regulation, which for the first time covers cars, small trucks and heavy vehicles under one legal framework, aims to establish more appropriate rules for vehicle emissions and further reduce emissions of air pollutants resulting from road transport.
“Europe is known around the world for producing low-emission, high-quality cars. We want to continue to pursue the goal of improving air quality. Our position is to continue on the path of driving future mobility and adopt realistic emissions levels for cars of the next decade while helping our industry make a decisive leap towards clean cars in 2035. The Spanish Presidency has been sensitive to the different demands and requests of the Member States and we believe that, with this proposal, we have achieved broad support, balancing the investment costs of manufacturing brands and improving the environmental benefits derived from the regulation.” According to a statement by the Commission in Brussels from Hector Gomez Hernandez, Acting Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism

The Council's position strikes a balance between stringent vehicle emissions requirements and additional industry investment, at a time when European car manufacturers are witnessing a shift towards producing zero-emission cars. The overall approach maintains current emission limits and test conditions for light-duty vehicles. In the case of heavy vehicles, the emission limits are lower and the test conditions are slightly modified. Euro 7 also includes a special provision on urban buses to ensure consistency with the newly proposed 2030 zero emissions target for these vehicles.
New items covered by Euro 7
Euro 7 sets limits for non-exhaust emissions such as particles from brakes and tires. In addition, it covers minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric vehicles, and imposes more stringent requirements on vehicle life. The regulation also stipulates the use of advanced technologies and emissions monitoring tools.
The Council proposed a number of practical changes to the Commission's proposal, also taking into account environmental and health objectives. Among other things:

The Council's position maintains the current testing conditions and emission limits (as set out in Euro 6) for M1 and N1 vehicles (private passenger cars and vans)
In the case of M2 and M3 vehicles (buses and coaches), and N2 and N3 vehicles (heavy commercial vehicles), the emission limits are lower and the test conditions are slightly modified, compared to Euro 6/VI
The Council text promotes the harmonization of brake particle emission limits and tire wear rate limits with international standards adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
It takes into account the newly proposed 2030 zero CO2 emissions target for urban buses
It also sets clear deadlines for the adoption of implementing laws (by the Commission) in order to provide economic operators with legal clarity and certainty.