The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the report drafted by Matthias GROOTE (PES, DE) by 540 votes in favour to 87 against, and made several amendments to the Commission’s proposal:
- Parliament extended the 18-month implementation deadline proposed by the Commission, saying that the new Euro 5 standard should apply from 1 September 2009 for private cars (M1) and from 1 September 2010 for category N1 class II and III vehicles (light commercial vehicles);
- the transition periods for registration, sale and entry into service were also extended to run up to 1 January 2011 (M1) and 1 January 2012 (N1) respectively;
- in order to ensure a smooth transition from the existing Directives to this Regulation, certain exceptions for vehicles designed to fulfil specific social needs should be foreseen in the Euro 5 stage. These exceptions should cease with the entry into force of the Euro 6 stage. The exception which enabled category M1 vehicles over 2500 kg to be type approved as N1 class II and III vehicles should be maintained in the Euro 5 step for vehicles "designed to fulfil specific social needs" (i.e. to take wheelchairs or to seat seven or more people). Vehicles with a maximum laden weigh of more than 2,500 kg and designed to meet specific social needs - to take wheelchairs or to seat seven or more people - and light commercial vehicles (N1) will have until 1 September 2010 to comply to the EURO V standard and until 2015 for the EURO VI standard;
- the Commission will establish specific procedures, tests and requirements for type approval, as well as a revised measurement procedure for particulates and a particle number based limit value, and adopt measures concerning the use of defeat devices, access to vehicle repair and maintenance information and test cycles used to measure emissions. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to supplement the Regulation by the addition of new non-essential elements, they will be adopted in accordance with the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of Decision 1999/468/EC;
- the Commission's proposed Euro 5 limit values for emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) for compression ignition (CI) vehicles should be reduced by a further 10%, i.e. they should be 180 mg/km rather than 200 mg/km as specified in the proposal;
- Parliament introduced a new table into the Annex setting out limit values for the next stage, i.e. Euro 6. The EURO 6 standard reduces the NOx emission limits even further (60 mg/km for petrol engines and 80 mg/km for diesel engines);
- starting dates are set for the Euro 6 stage: 1 September 2014 for M1 vehicles and 1 September 2015 for N1 vehicles. The transition periods for registration, sale and entry into service should run up to 1 September 2015 and 1 September 2016 for M1 and N1 vehicles respectively;
- a number of new definitions were introduced into the regulation including "vehicles designed to fulfil specific social needs" and "alternative fuel vehicle" which means a vehicle designed to be capable of running on at least one type of fuel that is either gaseous at atmospheric temperature and pressure, or substantially non-mineral oil derived;
- in order to facilitate the introduction and to maintain the existence of alternative fuel vehicles, which can have low nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions, and at the same time to encourage reduced emissions from petrol-powered vehicles, the Regulation introduces separate limit values for total hydrocarbons and total non-methane hydrocarbons;
- manufacturers must provide access to vehicle repair and maintenance information to independent operators through websites via a standardised format. With a view to facilitating the achievement of this objective, the information shall be submitted in a consistent manner, initially in accordance with the technical requirements of the format by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Manufacturers shall also make training material available to independent operators and authorised dealers and repair shops.