PRAGUE (Reuters) – Transport ministers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia will meet on Monday to discuss changes to the proposed Euro 7 vehicle emissions standard, Czech Minister Martin Kupka said.
“The aim is to make the standard” acceptable for the EU automotive industry and its customers,” Kupka said on Twitter, ahead of a meeting due in Strasbourg later in the day.
“We will also discuss recent legislative acts that strongly influence the automotive sector and the future affordability of individual mobility in the EU.”
Under Euro 7, cars would be permitted to emit no more than 60 milligrams of nitrogen oxides.
Kupka has called it a threat to Europe’s car industry, which is a major economic contributor in the Czech Republic, and wanted the sector to maintain its competitiveness in the future and its ability to invest.
The Czech Republic called the meeting to seek allies in challenging the proposed law, while the countries will also discuss a separate row over the bloc’s 2035 deadline to phase out CO2-emitting cars.
The bloc’s main policy to speed up Europe’s shift to electric vehicles was put on hold after last-minute opposition from Germany delayed a final vote, which has yet to be rescheduled.
(Reporting by Jason Hovet; editing by John Stonestreet and Jason Neely)
