“I am very pleased that after a year of joint efforts and
thorough negotiations with Member States we have reached an
agreement that will introduce the necessary changes to the
introduction of new vehicles on the market. European consumers
will have a new functional system with the effective enforcement
rules”, said the EPP Group Spokesman.
When it became clear in September 2015 that certain car producers
had cheated on emission tests on their diesel cars, allowing
nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to go well above the legal limits,
EU lawmakers had to take steps to protect EU consumers from a
direct threat to their health and the environment. “The EPP Group
fought to make sure that the new system's entry-into-force would
be smooth and fast”, said Štefanec.
The EPP Group stood up to the initial push by the S&D and
Greens/EFA Groups to create yet another supervisory agency that
would only have caused more red tape and delayed the new system's
entry-into-force.
The new law obliges the Member States and the European Commission
to perform market surveillance checks on cars and the Commission
to carry out an assessment of the procedures put in place by the
national type approval authorities every 5 years.
The new rules also set the limit for validity. Once
type-approved, the certificate is valid for 7 years concerning
small vehicles and 10 years for trucks.
The new rules, which will make sure that the car you buy is safe
and clean, will come into force two years from now, in September
2020. “There is no time to waste, our environment and people’s
health is more important”, concluded Ivan Štefanec MEP, who led
the negotiations on behalf of the EPP Group.
