MEPs Set to Oppose Softer EU Emissions Testing Rules
European Parliament environment committee members plan to block a deal allowing carmakers to exceed agreed emissions thresholds, with a key vote due on 14 December.
Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee are preparing to vote against a compromise that would allow carmakers to exceed agreed nitrogen oxide emissions limits, according to EU sources. The committee is expected to reject the European Commission’s proposal at a vote scheduled for 14 December.
The Commission’s compromise, reached in October, would permit new vehicles to emit more than twice the current legal limit for nitrogen oxides under the incoming real-driving emissions (RDE) tests. The agreement followed months of debate and pressure from both environmental groups and car manufacturers. The deal was made during a closed-door meeting of representatives from the 28 member states.
Politicians from several parties have publicly criticised the proposal, arguing that it rewards carmakers for past failures to comply with emissions standards. Green party spokesperson Bas Eickhout described the decision as a concession to manufacturers who have delayed compliance and, in some cases, deliberately circumvented the rules. Dutch Liberal MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy also voiced strong opposition, warning that accepting the compromise would undermine the credibility of EU regulation.
Political pushback after Dieselgate
The debate follows the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which revealed widespread cheating on laboratory tests. The scandal placed renewed scrutiny on the gap between official laboratory figures and real-world emissions, especially for diesel vehicles. UK government testing later found that all diesel cars examined exceeded lab emissions in real driving conditions. For background on the scale of the issue, see UK Government Tests Find All Diesel Cars Exceed Lab Emissions.
Carmakers have argued that the new RDE procedures are technically challenging and require transitional allowances to adapt their vehicles. Industry groups have lobbied for more lenient targets, as previously reported in European carmakers press EU for softer 2030 CO2 targets.
What happens next
If the environment committee formally objects to the compromise, the decision will require confirmation in a full plenary session of the Parliament. The outcome could force the Commission and member states to renegotiate the terms or maintain stricter emissions enforcement. The result will be closely watched by both industry and environmental campaigners, with implications for future EU vehicle regulation.
