New diesel emission plan
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• For the first time, the EEC Commission proposed legislation last week to reduce the level of emissions from diesel engined commercial vehicles, ranging from light vans to heavy lorries.
By mid-1988, it is planned that all EEC Governments will implement a directive proposing cuts of 20% in pollution by nitrogen oxide (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO) and a 30 per cent drop in hydrocarbon (hC).
The rules apply only to new vehicles and it will not be necessary to make changes to vehicles already on the road.
Brussels justifies the move by the level of pollution caused by diesel-engined vehicles in the EEC which is put at 183,000 tonnes per year — a figure which will rise considerably by the midNineties.
EEC officials say the reduction in emissions will not add more than 1% to 4% to manufacturers' costs and the impact on operating costs will be "negligible".