The committee adopted the report by Bernd LANGE (PES, D) amending the proposal under the codecision procedure (first reading). It essentially called for tougher limits and more realistic testing methods. The amendments focused on the following points:
Instead of permissive limit values that would only have any purpose if introduced in conjunction with tax incentives, the committee called for a second stage of mandatory limits to come into force in 2006 (known as EURO III). Limits for motorcycles under 150ccm would remain unchanged but for vehicles over 150ccm, limits would be tougher for HC (0.2 instead of 0.3 g/km), although slightly less strict for CO2 (2.3 instead of 2.0 g/km) and for NOX (0.15 instead of 0.1 g/km). For tricycles and quadricycles, the committee proposed mandatory limits for 2006, whereas the Commission had not even proposed permissive limits.
The committee wanted the deadline for the sale of older types of motorcycles to be delayed by 6 months to 1.7.2004. For special two-wheel vehicles, such as those used in sports competitions, it wanted the deadline to be put back to 1.7.2005. Type-approval for such vehicles should take the new emission limits into account by 1.1.2004.
Financial incentives should be allowed not only for new vehicles meeting tougher limits than those in force at the time but also for retrofitting older motorcycles.
The committee wanted to introduce a mandatory on-board diagnostic system (OBD) for vehicles over 150 ccm from 2006. It called on the Commission to submit a proposal for standards for such OBD by 1.7.2003.
Regarding the test cycles for two and three-wheel vehicles, the Commission was asked to report on the state of negotiations on a world-wide harmonised test cycle and propose a new cycle to be used to measure emissions. This should correspond to real driving patterns and be applicable throughout the world.�