A consumer checklist on ambitious air pollutant emissions standards for cars

Since the 2015 Dieselgate affair, consumer organisations from the BEUC network have made significant efforts to obtain redress for the millions of impacted consumers. They also played a key role in pursuing the enforcement of air quality standards in the EU and helping consumers choose the cleanest cars. Yet more needs to be done by lawmakers to reduce car emissions.

That is because air quality should be considered a fundamental right for consumers, as stated by the World Health Organization when presenting new evidence of the health impact of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM). EU regulation must therefore tackle the very crux of the issue: bringing down all emissions from cars on the road, where people drive them.

This also means that when going to the dealership, consumers should be able to trust what lies behind the ‘Euro’ standard of each vehicle, which regulates the emissions of various pollutants. In this checklist, we set out principles for ambitious legislation on this new set of standards, known as ‘Euro 7’.