Directive 1998/69 - Measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 350/1

Whereas measures should be adopted within the framework of the internal market;

Whereas the first programme of action of the European Community on protection of the environment (4), approved by the Council on 22 November 1973, called for account to be taken of the latest scientific advances in combating atmospheric pollution caused by gases emitted from motor vehicles and for Directives adopted previously to be amended accordingly; whereas the fifth programme of action, which in its general approach was approved by the Council in its Resolution of 1 February 1993 (5), provided for additional efforts to be made for a considerable reduction in the present level of emissions of pollutants from motor vehicles; whereas this fifth programme also set targets in terms of emission reductions for various pollutants on the understanding that emissions from both mobile and stationary sources would have to be reduced;

Whereas Council Directive 70/220/EEC (6) lays down the limit values for carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon emissions from the engines of such vehicles; whereas these limit values were first reduced by Council Directive 74/290/EEC (7) and supplemented, in accordance with Commission Directive 77/102/EEC (8), by limit values for permissible emissions of nitrogen oxides; whereas the limit values for these three types of pollution were successively reduced by Commission Directive 78/665/EEC (9) and Council Directives 83/351/EEC (10) and 88/76/EEC (11); whereas limit values for particulate pollutant emissions from diesel engines were introduced by Council Directive 88/436/EEC (12); whereas more stringent European standards for the emissions of gaseous pollutants from motor vehicles below 1 400 cm (13) were introduced by Council Directive 89/458/EEC (14); whereas these standards have been extended to all passenger cars independently of their engine capacity on the basis of an improved European test procedure comprising an extra-urban driving cycle; whereas requirements relating to evaporative emissions and to the durability of emission-related vehicle components as well as more stringent particulate pollutant standards for motor vehicles equipped with diesel engines were introduced by Council Directive 91/441/EEC (15); whereas Directive 94/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (13) introduced more stringent limit values for all pollutants and a new method for checking on the conformity of production; whereas passenger cars designed to carry more than six occupants and having a maximum mass of more than 2 500 kg, light commercial vehicles, and off-road vehicles, covered by Directive 70/220/EEC, which previously benefited from less stringent standards, have since been subject, pursuant to Council Directive 93/59/EEC (16) and Directive 96/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (17), to standards as stringent as the respective standards for passenger cars, taking into account the specific conditions of these vehicles;

Whereas an additional effort should be undertaken in order to commercialise more environmentally...