Reducing pollution from light motor vehicles

KEY POINTS

The legislation applies to light-duty vehicles less than 2.6 tonnes.

Manufacturers must:

• design, construct and assemble components so that the vehicle complies with the legislation;
• prove that all new vehicles and new pollution control devices comply with the legislation and can meet the emission limits during a vehicle’s normal life under normal conditions of use on the road;
• ensure that pollution control devices can last 160,000 km;
• vehicles emissions can be checked after 5 years or 100,000 km, whichever is sooner;
• provide buyers with carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption figures;
• not use defeat devices that reduce the effectiveness of emission control systems, except under strict conditions — such as to protect an engine against damage or accident;
• (until 1 September 2020) make available on websites unrestricted and standardised access to vehicle repair and maintenance information for independent garages. This should include items like service handbooks and technical manuals. They may charge a reasonable fee. These requirements are replaced by those in Regulation (EU) 2018/858 on 1 September 2020.

National authorities must:

• give EU type-approval² to new vehicles that comply with the legislation;
• refuse to grant approval to vehicles that do not meet the emissions standards, within the authorised deadlines relating to each vehicle category;
• allow the registration of vehicles complying with this regulation;
• ban the sale or installation of pollution control devices that do not meet the EU standards;
• ensure penalties exist for manufacturers that falsify declarations or results, withhold data, or make use of defeat devices.

The Commission keeps under regular review the procedures, tests, requirements and emission limits set out in the legislation and regularly updates them in implementing legislation.