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

The Commission's amended proposal incorporated 4 of the 18 amendments adopted by the European Parliament at first reading, particularly those which highlighted: - that the development of transport will cause a further increase in constraints for the environment, and that the official estimates of the increase in traffic density had proved to be lower than the actual trend and very stringent emission standards should therefore be laid down for all motor vehicles; - the need to align the standards applying to light commercial vehicles with those for passenger cars; - the need to improve new emerging technologies. However, the Commission did not take over the amendments aimed at: - fixing stricter limit values for light commercial vehicles; - doing away with the additional period of one year for the adaptation of vehicles with a low power-to-weight ratio; - establishing 31 December 1995 as the deadline for the Commission to forward its proposals for the year 2000; - modifying the specific rules concerning tax incentives; - amalgamating categories II and III for light commercial vehicles; - including provisions not covered by the directive (for example, the inspection and maintenance of vehicles in circulation, the proposal to grant tax concessions for the withdrawal from circulation of old vehicles, the application of emission standards to old vehicles from the year 2000). �