Real Driving Emissions  (RDE)

2019/0101(COD)

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Esther de LANGE (EPP, NL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information.

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, exercising its prerogatives as an associated committee, also gave its opinion on this report.

The legislative proposal concerns the introduction of conformity factors used to assess the compliance of the vehicle with the Euro 6 emission limits laid down in EU legislation when performing a Real Driving Emissions tests (RDE). This proposal follows the judgment of the General Court of the European Union in December 2018 according to which conformity factors for registration by type of vehicle in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council should not have been introduced through comitology but through the ordinary legislative procedure.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Conformity factors

Members proposed to reinstate conformity factors consisting of the requirements of the vehicle to comply with the binding emission limits set out in Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and a margin of error resulting from statistical and technical uncertainties in portable emission measurement systems (PEMS). The report introduces amendments to clarify that the conformity factor consists of the emission limits and the device-related error margin.

The Commission may adopt delegated acts by 1 June 2021 at the latest to complete the Regulation in order to:

- adapt the procedures, tests and requirements, as well as the test cycles used to measure emissions so as to properly reflect emissions under real driving conditions under normal use, including temperature and boundary conditions,

- adapt the procedures, tests and requirements as well as the test cycles used to measure emissions in order to adequately reflect real driving emissions under normal conditions of use, including inter alia temperature and boundary conditions;

- lower the zero response drift and addressing hazardous spikes in particles resulting from filter cleaning, taking into account any relevant elements of standardisation developed by CEN and based on best available equipment.

Post-Euro 6 proposal

In order to ensure swift progress towards the adoption of the future (post - Euro 6) emission limit values and improved air quality for Union citizens, Members called on the Commission present, where appropriate, a legislative proposal to that effect as soon as possible and at the latest by June 2021, as announced in its ‘European Green Deal’.

In order to encourage the producers to have a proactive, pro-environmental attitude, the new technological innovations meant to absorb NOx shall be tested, quantified and considered in the subsequent revision of Euro standards.

Diesel vehicles

Members highlighted that following recent violations of the existing legal framework by manufacturers, consumers have not been satisfactorily compensated. Even in cases where compensation has been granted, vehicles have rarely been brought into line with Euro 5 and Euro 6 standards.

Since the increasing number of diesel bans across European cities affect citizens’ daily life, Members suggested adequate compensation measures would be the equipment of non-compliant vehicles with the adapted exhaust treatment technology (hardware change) or, in the event that the consumer wished to exchange a purchased vehicle for a cleaner model, the offer of conversion premiums.