Air pollution: emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants from diesel engines (amend. Direct. 88/77/EEC)

Adopting the report by Mr Bernd Lange (PES, D), Parliament made substantial changes to the proposal for a directive on emissions from diesel engines. While approving the limit values proposed by the Commission for the year 2000, Parliament introduced stricter binding limits for 2005. Other amendments propose additional improvements for 2005. Thus, all heavy duty vehicles would have to be fitted with onboard diagnostic or measurement systems to monitor in-service exhaust emissions to permit rapid detection of any failure of a component or system. There should also be roadside checks on conformity with the emission standards adopted and emission-reducing devices should operate during the whole normal life of a vehicle. Parliament considers that Member States should be able to introduce tax incentives to encourage the early introduction of cleaner heavy-duty vehicles, before they have become obligatory, and to promote re-equipment of older vehicles to meet those requirements. Type-approval and certificates of conformity would not be granted to heavy vehicle engines which did not conform to the limit values. It might be necessary to introduce differentiated type-approval depending on the use to which the vehicles are to be put. The major problem in urban areas is emissions of soot particles, while in long-distance traffic it is the emission of nitrogen oxides. Parliament also considers that heavy vehicles are covered by the Community strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which would imply not legislation but a voluntary agreement on reduction with manufacturers. Another amendment calls on the Commission to report on emission limit values for fuel other than diesel, such as liquid petroleum gas and natural gas. Parliament also calls for restrictive measures to be adopted from 2005. �