"The Euro 7 standard, a radical tool in the fight against pollution"

The draft Euro 7 standard drew strong criticism during its examination by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament.

The Euro 7 standard has been heavily criticized for several reasons. This standard provides for a further reduction in the limits to be respected for polluting emissions from combustion engine vehicles, limits which must be respected in all driving conditions, including the most extreme.

The text proposal presented by the European Commission first provoked reactions from manufacturers, then eight Member States, including France, publicly opposed the project.

The text was recently examined by MEPs in the European Parliament's Environment Committee. Once again, the critics dominated. Czech MEP and rapporteur for the Euro 7 regulation for the committee, Alexandr Vondra, expressed three concerns: technical difficulties, impact on new car sales and investment diversion. Our Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, had already raised this argument, worrying about the fact that the Euro 7 standard imposes additional expenses for thermal vehicles, while manufacturers must already incur considerable expenses to switch to electric mobility, an electric transition imposed by Europe by 2035!

According to Alexandr Vondra, the proposed text will bring only minimal gains for combustion engine vehicles. He compares the use of this text to "using a jackhammer to crack nuts". In his report, he therefore asks for an extension of the transition periods and pleads in favor of achievable, coherent objectives which are proportional to the investments necessary to comply with the CO2 standards.

Pascal Canfin, French MEP, chairman of the committee and member of the Renew political group, supported this position. On behalf of this group, Susana Solis Pérez, a Spanish MEP, said the line not to be crossed was to add costs to a sector which had very clear objectives: the transition to electric vehicles and decarbonisation. heavy transport.

She worries that a standard will make small models even more expensive, thus favoring the maintenance in circulation of old models that are much more polluting. MEPs also opposed the additional cost generated by the Euro 7 regulations. While some put forward a modest figure of €200 per car, others mention €2,000. According to Bas Eickhout, a member of the Green party, "lobbyists are putting forward unfounded figures".

According to the census carried out by Autoactu, the majority of the members of the commission expressed themselves against the text. However, he was supported by the social democratic parties and the Greens. The Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D) also considers that the text is insufficient and that it must be improved. A committee vote is scheduled for September.