EU plans new rules for car emission Tests

Published Date: 28th Jan 2016

The European Union has proposed new rules to test car emissions following the scandal involving VW diesel vehicles. They want the tests to be carried out by independent assessors who are not connected to the motor manufacturers. The EU also wants to be able to recall any vehicles across the region and carry out spot checks on the road.

At the moment tests are carried out at a national level and are then valid across Europe. The new plan to test the level of nitrogen oxide being emitted from car exhausts will apply to all countries in the EU. Laboratories that test cars would also no longer be paid directly by the manufacturers, in order to prevent conflicts of interest.

The New EU Commission wants power to order vehicle recalls.

"To regain customers' trust in this important industry, we need to tighten the rules but also ensure they are effectively observed," explained Jyrki Katainen, the European Commission's vice-president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness.

The EU does not, at the moment, have the powers to act against any single nation. It faced severe criticism following the VW emission scandal that it was too scared to take on Germany's power car industry.

Member of Parliament for the Green Party, Bas Eickhout said: "It will be attacked heavily by the member states because it boils down to giving away sovereignty to Brussels."

But Monique Goyens, director general of the European Consumer Organisation, welcomed the new rules.

"Authorities across Europe failed to expose the use of Volkswagen's illegal defeat device and for years consumers have been unable to rely on carmakers' official fuel consumption figures. Without radical change to the approval system of passenger cars in Europe, the car emission-scandal is bound to happen again."