Euro 7: New EU car emission standard not enough to reduce microplastic pollution from tyres
The EU has agreed on a new car emission standard, Euro 7, that will (among other things) set limits on emissions stemming from the abrasion of tyres while driving – a massive source of microplastic pollution. Although this is a step in the right direction, Euro 7 will unfortunately not sufficiently address Europe’s microplastic problem.
Standards that set limits on tyre abrasion emissions are much needed, so it is commendable that EU institutions now have a mandate to introduce such provisions unilaterally – something that environmental organisations have been calling for [1]. EU provisions will come into play if related negotiations at UN level do not deliver by July 2026 for passenger car tyres and later for other tyre categories [2].
However, such standards will only reduce microplastics if they are accompanied by policies that reverse the upward trends of vehicle size and weight. With Euro 7 alone, the EU’s target of reducing microplastics by 30% by 2030 is at risk.
Mathias Falkenberg, Programme Manager at ECOS – Environmental Coalition on Standards, said:
“We must get tyres that shed high amounts of microplastics off our roads – a transition that Euro 7 can help to deliver. However, without complementary policies to address vehicles becoming larger, heavier, and more numerous, improved tyres will not be sufficient and the overall rate of tyre shedding will continue to rise, impeding the EU’s goal of reducing microplastics by 30% by 2030.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] Tyre wear – an underestimated source of air pollution that needs to be tackled, ECOS, June 2023, https://ecostandard.org/news_events/tyre-wear-an-underestimated-source-of-air-pollution-that-needs-to-be-tackled-in-the-eu/
[2] Negotiations at UN level to set an international standard to measure the abrasion of tyres, as well as an upper limit in mg/km that tyres will have to comply with, are ongoing. Following yesterday’s decision on Euro 7, The European Commission now has a mandate to step in should the UN process not deliver.
[3] How can EU legislation tackle microplastic pollution, paper by ECOS, Seas at Risk, Surfrider, Environmental Investigation Agency, and CIEL, https://rethinkplasticalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RPa-Microplastics-Position-Paper-July-2022.pdf
Contact:
If you have questions, please contact me:
Alison Grace
Press & Communications Manager at ECOS
alison.grace@ecostandard.org
+32 493 19 22 59
ECOS – Environmental Coalition on Standards is an international NGO with a network of members and experts advocating for environmentally friendly technical standards, policies, and laws.
