T&E calls on the European Council to throw out “severely weakened” Euro 7 pollution standards proposals

On Monday 25 September, the European Council will vote on the proposed Euro 7 pollution standards for cars, vans and trucks. T&E warns that the severely weakened proposals will do nothing to improve air quality and the health of European citizens, but will instead allow the automotive industry to greenwash cars as ‘clean Euro 7’ while still running on highly polluting Euro 6 technology.

Anna Krajinska, Manager, Vehicle Emissions and Air Quality at T&E, said:

“The latest European Council text on Euro 7 pollution standards for cars, vans and trucks is a slap in the face for European citizens. It completely undermines efforts to reduce toxic tailpipe pollution pumped into the air we breathe. The eight Member States – Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – which have lobbied for the interests of the car industry over the health of their own citizens should be ashamed. They are giving the car industry a green light to greenwash highly polluting Euro 6 cars as ‘clean’ Euro 7. The only credible option for Member States is to reject the text in the council vote on Monday.”

“The Spanish presidency is not only proposing to weaken the Euro 7 proposals to the point of irrelevance, it is also proposing to delay even the minor improvements that still exist in the proposals for several years. This will prop up car industry profits and shareholder dividends while millions of us are exposed to toxic fumes.”