EU Ordered to Restore Tougher Diesel Emission Rules

A European high court has reversed a European Union decision two years ago that allowed new diesel vehicles to emit “excessively high” nitrogen oxides, the Financial Times reports.

The reversal applies to engines that meet Euro 6 emission standards. When that class of diesels was established by the EU in 2007, it set an emission limit for NOx of 80 grams per kilometer.

But in 2016, the EU, bowing to the greater emission levels typical in real-world emission testing, revised the limit to allow Euro 6-class diesels to emit more than twice as much NOx.

This week’s ruling by a lower court of the European Court of Justice—prompted by complaints by the cities of Brussels, Madrid and Paris— restores the original standard. FT says carmakers will have one year to certify their diesels at the 80-gram level, unless the EU appeals the court decision or replaces the 2007 law with one that sets a greater limit.

Environmental groups applauded the ruling. They note that most EU member states, along with more than 130 European cities, routinely record NOx levels greater than EU rules allow. Diesels contribute a significant portion of the total.