- Brussels: 'No' statements for diesel cars are misleading
The European Commission has no plans to retroactively change regulations on pollutant limits for cars, which could potentially lead to the scrapping of millions of diesel vehicles. In a letter to German Transport Minister Volker Wissing, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that the commission has no intention of making any retroactive changes that would impose additional administrative burdens on car manufacturers. The commission also does not want to take any further measures that would disadvantage citizens who bought cars in good faith. The letter was obtained by the German Press Agency.
Wissing, a member of the Free Democratic Party, had previously warned the EU commission about the potential scrapping of millions of diesel vehicles and demanded clarification in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The background to the debate is a procedure before the ECJ regarding a preliminary ruling request from the Regional Court of Duisburg. The case also involves the compliance of pollutant limits for Euro 5 diesel vehicles. Euro 5 is an emission standard.
EU regulations on pollutant values
Under EU law, pollutant values must be complied with under certain conditions (so-called NEDC testing). This happens in test centers. Following the diesel scandal, real-world driving emission tests were also developed. Such a procedure is now also used for the approval of new vehicle types from the "Euro 6d temp" standard onwards. According to commission statements, the ECJ has already ruled in an earlier judgment that emission tests may no longer be limited to laboratory tests.
In the court proceedings, the EU commission reportedly argued that pollutant limit values would apply to every driving situation. This would mean that the limit values would also have to be complied with during so-called full-load drives with inclines - for example, when a fully loaded car drives uphill and emits relatively more pollutants. Wissing reportedly stated that this is currently not feasible with the existing technology. All Euro 5 approvals would be called into question. Consequences for vehicles after the Euro 6 emission standard would also be excluded. "Millions of vehicles are thus threatened with being taken off the road," Wissing wrote in his letter.
Court decision still open
Breton described Wissing's assumption in the response letter, which he was asked to write by Commission President von der Leyen, as "misleading." The commission has merely stated that "passenger car emission limit values must be complied with under normal operating conditions," a spokesperson added. This does not mean every driving situation. The authority has also not changed its position on this issue. Breton wrote: "Without prejudicing the outcome of the pending court case, the commission will continue to promote solutions that promote clean and healthy air and a predictable and implementable legal framework."
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) member, Volker Wissing, previously raised concerns about the potential scrapping of millions of diesel vehicles to the EU Commission and urged clarification. Despite Wissing's concerns, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that the commission has no intention of making retroactive changes that would impact car manufacturers.
