The committee adopted the report by Bernd LANGE (PES, D) amending the Council's common position under the codecision procedure (2nd reading). Although Council had taken on board most of the limit values adopted by Parliament at 1st reading, it still wanted these to be non-binding. The committee therefore retabled a first reading amendment calling for mandatory limit values, to apply from 2006, on the basis of the test cycle for passenger cars (NEDC), since this was ready and available and also offered a clear comparison between cars and motorcycles.
Other amendments retabled from first reading were designed to ensure that vehicles continued to comply with limit values even after they had been on the road for a considerable time. This would involve monitoring emission-control equipment throughout a vehicle's life.
In addition, the committee said that tax incentives were needed to encourage an early changeover to new low emission vehicles. At the same time, financial incentives should be available for the retrofitting of older motorcycles with simple devices to bring them up to the new standards.�