§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action is being taken at the EU level to reduce harmful gas and other emissions in the transport sector. [135394]
§ Mr. MeacherSince 1993 the EU has introduced, a series of increasingly stringent emissions standards for new road vehicles. Further tightening will take effect in 2001 and 2006. EU Directive 98/70/EC requires petrol and diesel fuels to meet cleaner specifications from 1 January 2000. Further reductions in permitted sulphur and aromatics content in petrol and sulphur content in diesel will apply from 2005. Taken together these measures will have a significant role in helping us to meet our national air quality objectives and our legal obligations under the various EU Air Quality Directives.
The European Commission has put in place a voluntary agreement with motor manufacturers to reduce emissions of CO2 from the average new car by 25 per cent. by 2008–09.