Euro 6 Deadline Called Forward

Earlier this year, the European Parliament casted a vote challenging whether the revised Euro 6 standard should be implemented ahead of schedule. Previously this deadline for compliance had been pushed back to accommodate global economic changes.

The turnaround means that vehicle manufacturers will now need to comply before the end of 2012. At present the only way to meet the Euro 6 emission standards (80% reduction in NOx to 0.4 g/kWh) is by adopting SCR (AdBlue) technology, a devastating blow to firms who have previously backed rival EGR technology.

Even pro-EGR manufacturers like MAN have had to revise policy statements and admit that in order to reach to Euro 6 standards a small SCR unit will be required on all HGV vehicles.

Gunter Verheugen, the European Commission Vice President, welcomed the change, "Today's agreement of the European Parliament is a good message for the environment. Soon we will have cleaner trucks and buses, which will be trend-setters worldwide."