EU court backs cities' challenge on pollution limits
A European Union court ruled on Thursday that the European Commission's 2016’s decision to raise the limits of nitrogen oxide vehicle emissions in cities such as Paris Brussels and Madrid was illegal.
The General Court said the European cities were right to complain about the change in regulation since the appointment of limits of NOx was not down to the Commission and broke EU human rights and other laws, reported Reuters.
“The General Court upholds the actions brought by the cities of Paris, Brussels and Madrid and annuls in part the Commission’s regulation setting excessively high oxides of nitrogen emission limits for the tests for new light passenger and commercial vehicles,” it said in a statement.
The Euro 6 limits the cars in the category to 80 milligrams of NOx per kilometre, compared to the Euro 5 limit of 180 mg/km, and Euro 4's 250 mg/km.
With the change from the EC for the first couple of years, the NOx limit was more than doubled, from 80 mg/km to 168 mg/km. And by 2020, cars emitting up to 120 mg/km would still be approved.
The court has given the Commission a year to make amendments, avoid legal uncertainty over decisions made by consumers and carmakers that followed the changed regulations.