The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Alexandr VONDRA (Renew, CZ) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7) and repealing Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009.
The proposed Regulation establishes common technical requirements and administrative provisions for the emission type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units, with regard to their CO2 and pollutant emissions, fuel and energy consumption and battery durability.
More specifically, this proposal replaces and simplifies previously separate emission rules for cars and vans (Euro 6) and lorries and buses (Euro VI). The Euro 7 rules will apply to both light-duty (cars and vans) and heavy-duty vehicles (lorries and buses) sold in the EU. The proposal merges the successor norms to Euro 6 (Regulation (EC) No 715/2007) and Euro VI (Regulation (EC) No 595/2009) into one single act.
The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
Subject matter
Members clarified that this Regulation also establishes common technical requirements and administrative provisions for the abrasion emission type-approval and market surveillance of newly manufactured tyres. It should apply to motor vehicles of categories M1, M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3, as well as trailers of O3 and O4 categories, including those designed and constructed in one or more stages, and to systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles and tyres of class categories C1, C2 and C3 as specified in UN Regulation No 117 with the exception of ice grip tyres.
Obligations of the manufacturers concerning construction of vehicles
The amended text stated that manufacturers should design, construct and assemble vehicles of categories M1, M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 with:
- on-board diagnostic (OBD) system that can detect malfunctioning systems which lead to exhaust emission exceedances or the malfunction of other components in order to facilitate repairs;
- on-board monitoring (OBM) systems capable of detecting emissions above the emission limits due to malfunctions, increased degradation or other situations that increase emissions within the tolerance range of OBM measurements or the zero emission mode;
- devices communicating vehicle generated data together with the approval number and type approval variant used for compliance with this regulation and OBFCM data, for the purpose of periodic roadworthiness tests and technical roadside inspection.
To prevent anti-tampering measures from unduly hampering competition, it is proposed that this Regulation should maintain the possibility of independent operators to develop, distribute, install and activate aftermarket replacement parts. Therefore, manufacturers should ensure access by independent operators to the strictly necessary information, tools and processes for development and installation of such replacement parts.
Non-compliance resulting from tampering should result in the adoption of appropriate corrective measures, including recalls, and effective, proportionate and dissuasive financial penalties by the national competent authorities.
Obligations of the manufacturers concerning emission type-approval
Members introduced the obligation for manufacturers to issue an environmental vehicle passport (EVP) for each vehicle to be communicated at the point of sale together with the vehicle and deliver that passport to the purchaser of the vehicle, extracting the relevant data from sources such as the certificate of conformity and the type-approval documentation. The manufacturer should ensure that EVP data are available for display in the vehicle electronic systems and can be transmitted from on- to off- board.
An up-to-date environmental vehicle passport (EVP) should be made available for consumers to receive up to date information throughout the lifetime of the vehicle such as fuel consumption, state of health of batteries, emission limits, periodic technical inspections results and roadworthiness data and other relevant information.
Specific provisions relating to vehicle tyre abrasion
Members seek to align the EU’s calculation methodologies and limits for brake particle emission and tyre abrasion rate with international standards currently being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These rules should apply to all vehicles, including electric ones.
Battery durability
The text also includes higher minimum performance requirements for battery durability for cars and vans than those proposed by the Commission.
Procedures and tests
The Commission should adopt implementing acts for all the phases of emission type-approval, including conformity of production, in-service conformity and market surveillance, addressing administrative provisions, amending and extending emission type-approvals, data access, documentation requirements and templates for all of the following:
- excess emissions driver warning system;
- low-reagent driver warning system;
- anti-tampering, security and cybersecurity systems;
- brake system types and their replacement parts in respect to particle emissions for all vehicle categories;
- brake system types and their replacement parts to be retrofitted into vehicles already placed on the market in order to significantly reduce the brake emissions.
Reporting
It is suggested that no later than 2031, the Commission should submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report assessing the durability performance of heavy duty vehicles with regard to emissions.
Entry into force
Members proposed that the emission standards currently in force (Euro 6/VI) would apply until 1 July 2030 for cars and vans, and 1 July 2031 for buses and trucks (compared to 2025 and 2027 respectively as proposed by the Commission).