Reduction of the level of pollutant emissions from two- and three-wheel motor vehicles

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on the new directive on emissions from two or three-wheeled motor vehicles.The compromise package may be summarised as follows: - establishment of a second stage of binding pollution limit values in 2006; the original proposal only provided for one set of compulsory limits to be introduced in 2003; - introduction of a new world-wide test cycle for motorcycles with the provision that during a transition period producers may choose between two methods for testing emissions: the currently used test cycle (designed originally for cars) and the new test cycle for motorbikes, which then becomes the only regular type-approval procedure; - strict durability requirements for emission-control devices, which have to operate correctly for at least 30 000 km; - Member States may offer fiscal or financial incentives for the retrofitting of older motorcycles in order to reach the agreed limit values.�