All about the brakes on Euro 7: new deadlines, objectives of the change… and how it will affect Spanish drivers

Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission was drawn as a geopolitical Commission, but also green. Now, reality and pragmatism seem to have taken over a dynamic that seemed destined to accelerate the ecological transition.. but now he has had to stop it. The Community Executive, in any case, has to pay attention to the two EU co-legislators. And the Council has already told Brussels that “little by little”, at least as regards Euro 7, the policy on car and truck emissions, now qualified by the 27. Waiting for what the European Parliament says, what has happened?

What does the change proposed by the 27 mean?

The Member States have agreed to defend the delay from 2025 to 2027 of the entry into force of the Euro 7 regulations, which aims to reduce polluting emissions from cars, and until 2029 the requirements for trucks. The new regulation, which for the first time covers passenger cars, vans and heavy vehicles in a single legal act, aims to establish more appropriate standards for vehicle emissions and further reduce air polluting emissions from road transport, collects the Council. The 27 say they do not want measures that are “too ambitious or even unrealistic.”

The Council's position establishes “a balance between strict requirements for vehicle emissions and additional investments for the industry, at a time when European car manufacturers are undergoing a transformation towards the production of zero-emission cars.”

The general approach maintains the current emissions limits and test conditions for light vehicles. For heavy duty vehicles, the emission limits are lower and the test conditions are slightly adjusted. Euro 7 also contains a special provision on city buses to ensure consistency with the proposed new 2030 zero emissions target for these vehicles. The Council suggests a series of “pragmatic” changes to the Commission's proposal, without losing sight of environmental and health objectives.

What does Euro 7 imply?

The Commission's proposal covers different points, which are still waiting to be clarified precisely by the Council and the European Parliament.. Brussels calls for better control of air pollutant emissions from all new vehicles: expanding the range of driving conditions covered by road emissions tests. “These will better reflect the range of conditions that vehicles may experience across Europe, including temperatures of up to 45 degrees or short journeys typical of daily commutes,” they explain.

On the other hand, the Commission talks about an update and tightening of the polluting emission limits: the limits will be made stricter for trucks and buses, while the lower existing limits for cars and vans will now apply regardless of the fuel used by the vehicle. The new rules also set emission limits for hitherto unregulated pollutants, such as nitrous oxide emissions from heavy vehicles.. This is in fact one of the elements that least convince the Member States.

Brussels also wants to regulate emissions from brakes and tires. In this sense, the Euro 7 standards will be the first global emissions standards that will go beyond the regulation of tailpipe emissions and will establish additional limits for particulate emissions from brakes and standards for microplastic emissions from the tires. These rules will apply to all vehicles, including electric ones.

Finally, Brussels' idea is – or was – to ensure that new cars stay cleaner for longer. Thus, compliance with the regulations by passenger cars and vans would be checked until these vehicles reach 200,000 kilometers and are 10 years old.. This doubles the existing durability requirements with Euro 6/VI standards (100,000 kilometers and 5 years old). In this framework, Brussels asks to “make the most of digital possibilities” for the development of electric vehicles.

What is the opinion of the parties involved?

But all of the above will have to slow down.. There will not be as drastic a green shift as Brussels would like. The directors of the car brands have warned that a “hasty” application of these measures could lead to the closure of factories and precisely the 27 assure that these delays agreed in their position are intended to “protect the European industry” in a moment of maximum competitiveness against China and the United States.

From the point of view of consumers, Brussels said that adaptation to the new standard would have an average cost of about 300 euros per car.. But Acea, the builders' association, is not so optimistic and raised the amount to 2,000 euros for the smallest models.. These calculations also have to be calibrated in the negotiation between the Council and Parliament. The environmental associations were much harsher, and accused the Commission of being lukewarm in its proposal: “They will help whitewash up to 100 million polluting cars that will be sold in the coming years.”

How does it affect Spain?

Spain's role is relevant as it holds the rotating presidency of the Council, and has also promoted the agreement between the 27. “Europe is known around the world for manufacturing high-quality, low-emission cars.. We want to continue pursuing the goal of improving air quality. Our position is to continue on the path of leading the mobility of the future and adopting realistic emissions levels for the vehicles of the next decade, while helping our industry make the definitive leap towards clean cars in 2035,” summarized the Minister of Transport, Héctor Gómez.

Is it a brake on the EU's green agenda?

Yes it is. The Commission knows that there are only a few months left until the European elections and that is why it wants to close chapters. The Green Deal has seen how the pandemic first and the war in Ukraine later have left it in the background, almost completely changing the order of the EU's priorities. The reform of the electricity market, the biodiversity law or emissions limits are still on the table. Euro 7 is one more leg, and it seems to be less firm today than yesterday in the eyes of Brussels.