On April 12, the European Council announced that it has adopted the Euro 7 regulation, which lays down rules on new emission restrictions for road vehicles and battery durability.
The adoption of the mandate by the European Council is the last step in the decision-making procedure.
The text adopted by the council covers passenger cars, vans and heavy-duty vehicles in one single legal act and aims to further lower air pollutant emissions from exhaust fumes and brakes.
The Euro 7 regulation was first presented by the European Commission in November 2022. The European Council adopted its position in September 2023. Later in December 2023, the council and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the matter.
Following the council’s approval of the European Parliament's position, the legislative act has been adopted, the council said in a press note.
After being signed by the president of the European Parliament and the president of the council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication.
The dates of application of the regulation will depend on the kind of vehicle concerned, such as:
a) 30 months for new types of cars and vans, and 42 months for new cars and vans
b) 48 months for new types of buses, trucks and trailers, and 60 months for new buses, lorries and trailers
c) 30 months for new systems, components or separate technical units to be fitted in cars and vans, and 48 months for those to be fitted in buses, lorries and trailers
The Euro 7 regulation establishes rules for the exhaust emissions of road vehicles, and also for other types of emissions such as tire abrasion and brake particle emissions. It also introduces requirements for battery durability.
For cars and vans, the new regulation keeps the existing Euro 6 exhaust emission limits but introduces stricter requirements for solid particles.
For heavy-duty buses and lorries, the regulation imposes more stringent limits for various pollutants, including some that have not been regulated until now, such as nitrous oxide (N2O).
In addition, Euro 7 introduces stricter limits for particle emissions produced when braking, with specific limits for electric vehicles. The new rules also include stricter lifetime requirements for all vehicles in terms of both mileage and lifetime.
