On 28 October, EU Member States meeting in the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles voted by a large majority on the second package of implementing measures to introduce real driving emissions tests (RDE) for air pollutant emissions by diesel cars. The current laboratory tests do not accurately reflect the amount of air pollution emitted during real driving conditions.  

Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska who is responsible for Internal Market Industry Entrepreneurship and SMEs said, “The EU is the first and only region in the world to mandate these robust testing methods. And this is not the end of the story. We will complement this important step with a revision of the framework regulation on type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles. We are working hard to present a proposal to strengthen the type-approval system and reinforce the independence of vehicle testing. We are listening to the many views expressed and ideas put forward, and I thank the European parliament in particular for its valuable input."  

The new RDE test will apply to all new vehicles from September 2019. 

Photo: Elżbieta Bieńkowska.