The new EU agreement on air pollution requirements for vehicles, adopted on Wednesday, is very disappointing. Once again, they chose not to impose stricter requirements on the car industry, and we will now have to live with the consequences until 2050

The EU Parliament decided on Wednesday to join a new agreement on air pollution requirements for vehicles - Euro7. And although the name Euro7 sounds as if it is a new EU standard, it is in many ways a new packaging of requirements that differ only to a small extent from the existing requirements – Euro6.

If you work for cleaner air in the lungs of European citizens, the new Euro7 is something of a disappointment. The requirements for what can come out of an exhaust pipe on a passenger car are basically the same. For example, there are no strictures on NOx, and not even the EU Commission's proposal to tighten the requirements for diesel cars, so that they at least meet the same requirements as petrol cars, was approved.

Less progress

There is less progress. For example, the requirement for the lifetime that the cars must be able to meet has been raised, while at the same time some moderate requirements have been included for the lifetime of batteries in electric cars.

Smaller particles are also counted, and there have been requirements for tire wear and brake dust, which so far have not been regulated, as they mean less for health.

However, with a general increase in the weight of cars regardless of powertrain, these emissions are increasing, and we are glad that they are now taking this into account, even though it may seem strange that fossil-fuel cars must emit more than twice as much air pollution from brake dust as electric cars.

Overall, however, these minor improvements deliver far too little in relation to overall air pollution, and although it has become easier to count the daylight hours, it is now obvious that only faster electrification and zero-emission zones can make a substantial contribution to air quality .

A historic opportunity to reduce harmful air pollution from vehicles has been wasted. Despite the fact that it would be a great benefit for society economically, it was once again chosen not to impose stricter requirements on the car industry.

We will have to live with the consequences until 2050, when the last cars with internal combustion engines will disappear from European roads.

This debate post was written by Jeppe Juul and was brought to the Alting on 15 March 2024.