EC AGREES REDUCTION OF DIESEL EXHAUST EMISSIONS
The European Community (EC) agreed
tough new rules to cut diesel exhaust emissions from trucks and
buses in an attempt to reduce air pollution threatening vast
stretches of the region's forests.
    Diplomats said EC environment ministers meeting here agreed
member states would have to reduce by 20 pct over the next few
years the emission of nitrogen oxide, widely seen as the main
source of acid rain endangering forests and lakes.
    The reduction would be compulsory for heavy vehicles, with
tougher standards imposed for new models from April 1988 and
for all new vehicles from October 1990.
    The EC's executive Commission says the emission level of
nitrogen oxide was expected to drop to 2.4 mln tonnes a year
from three mln tonnes within the 12-nation Community if all
heavy vehicles applied to the new standards.
    There are an estimated nine mln lorries and buses in use in
the EC, according to Commission figures.
    The ministers also gave West Germany a go-ahead to move
towards a ban on the sale of leaded regular petrol, after Bonn
requested permission to do so to encourage the use of
low-pollution cars, diplomats said.
    West Germany will still need ministers' final approval for
such a plan. Diplomats said this was expected when EC
environment ministers meet next on May 21.
    But the ministers added that the go-ahead for West Germany
did not mean there would automatically follow a Community-wide
ban on the sale of regular leaded petrol.
    Bonn intends to keep leaded premium petrol pumps, diplomats
said. They added that, of the 97 mln cars in the EC, only 20
mln now ran on regular leaded petrol and these would risk no
damage if they switched over to premium leaded petrol.
    Under EC law, ministers have to give member states special
permission if they wish to be exempt from Community competition
laws. This would be the case if West Germany were to implement
a ban on the sale of leaded regular petrol.
 Reuter
