Brussels, 15/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - Reducing diesel car antipollution standards during real driving emissions conditions (2nd RDE package) is an issue that is sticking in the gullet of a number of MEPs who are determined to oppose this initiative.
Although there is now no opposition to the adoption of the Commission regulation, because the EP and Council of the EU adopted it on Friday 12 February, in the presence of European Environment Ministers, several MEPs from the Greens/EFA are still hoping that an appeal can be made at the European Court of Justice (see EUROPE 11489).
They hope that this will go ahead, even if the initiative they asked the French minister to support so far remains without a response, explained MEPs on Friday evening 12 February.
On 4 February, following the go-ahead given from the EP, Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, Belgium), the President of the group, Karima Delli, Pascal Durand, Yannick Jadot, Michèle Rivasi (members of the French Greens/EFA) and Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg) wrote to the French Minister, Ségolène Royal, asking her to go to the European Court of Justice in protest against a decision they consider illegal. They decided to address Royal because she was quoted as criticising the agreement concluded on 28 October by the Commission and member states in Committee Procedures.
“If the entry into force of tests in real driving conditions represents a genuine advance with regard to current rates of emissions (more than 400% above the legal norm, on average), the introduction of these compliance factors goes back to the Euro 6 pollution ceilings increases jointly adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU nearly 10 years ago, in 2007. This amendment of the European law should only been possible by way of another joint Parliament/Council vote and in no case by an act made in committee proceedings… The day after the decision, you yourself opposed it on the RTL channel by stating, 'this is not a good decision. It was taken by a technical committee and I consider that decisions of this importance must be taken at a political level'”, wrote the signatories.
They point out that “the legality of this act was also confirmed by an opinion from the European Parliament legal service published on 9 November 2015 and through a vote by the legal committee at the Parliament on Monday, 1 February”. They also add that “We call on you to put your words into deeds and take France's voice on this matter by going to the European Court of Justice as soon as possible. The court alone should be able to revoke this decision that contravenes European law, in the interests of both French and European citizens”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)