Air pollution: measures to be taken against emissions from motor vehicles (amend. Directive 70/220/EEC)

The rapporteur regretted that this proposal had arrived 12 months late and that the Commission had not succeeded in aligning the standards applicable to light commercial vehicles with those for passenger cars. She called for the stages of the Commission’s programme to be speeded up with a view to a new programme on passenger cars from the year 2000 (on which a proposal should already have been presented). She also stated that the reduction in limit values, particularly for class II and III light commercial vehicles, laid down in the amendments of the Committee on the Environment, was essential in order to combat pollution in cities. Pointing out that it was impossible to move from the current transitional stage of an old concept of cars to a new one for the year 2000, Commissioner Bangemann stated that he could not guarantee that all of the amendments would be taken over and that he could only give an opinion at that stage on Amendments Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4. He rejected the criticisms concerning delays and slow progress, defending the Commission’s cautious attitude, which was to have the results of the current programme before presenting a reasonable and coherent proposal for the year 2000.