Input to Environment Council debate on Sustainable Road Transport

T&E, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, and EEB, the European Environmental Bureau, call upon the ministers to:

1. Urge the Commission to come forward with a ‘Euro 5’ proposal for cars and vans for 2008 and a ‘Euro 5/6’ proposal for lorry engines for 2008/2010, with values corresponding with the 2003 proposal from the German Umweltbundesamt;
2. Ask the Commission to start preparations for a legally binding follow-up of the car industry’s voluntary CO₂ commitment, to achieve the agreed 120 g CO₂/km target by 2010 at the latest;
3. Demand that noise standards for all types of vehicles – road, rail and air – are dealt with in the Environment Council, just like the emissions standards. In the meantime, tighten the noise standards for car tyres by 4 dB(A) as of 2007, and increase pressure on the speed and quality of the UN-ECE work on noise test cycles.