Agreement on Commission proposal to tighten rules for safer and cleaner cars

Yesterday, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have reached a political agreement to fully overhaul the EU framework for type-approval and testing of vehicles. The new rules will lead to higher quality and independence of type-approvals and vehicle testing; increased checks of cars already on the EU market; and stronger European oversight. Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, commented: “With tighter rules which are policed more strictly, the car industry has the chance to regain consumers’ trust. Just a few weeks after the Commission’s clean mobility proposals, the agreement marks yet another milestone in the EU’s wider efforts to reinforce our car industry’s global leadership in clean and safe vehicles.” Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: “Dieselgate has revealed the weaknesses of our regulatory and market surveillance system. We know that some car manufacturers were cheating and many others were exploiting loopholes. To put an end to this, we are overhauling the whole system. After almost two years of negotiations, I welcome that the key elements of our proposal have been upheld, including real EU oversight and enforcement powers. In the future, the Commission will be able to carry out checks on cars, trigger EU-wide recalls, and impose fines of up to €30,000 per car when the law is broken.” Under current rules, the EU sets the legal framework but national authorities are fully responsible for checking car manufacturers’ compliance. Following the Volkswagen revelations in September 2015, the Commission therefore proposed a far-reaching reform in January 2016. This reform plays into the overall efforts by the Commission to support the transition to safer and cleaner cars – be it new and improved car emissions tests or proposals for new CO2 emissions targets. More in detail information is available in a press release on yesterday’s agreement and FAQs on the Commission proposal