Acid Earth: The Global Threat of Acid Pollution by John McCormick

Author:John McCormick [McCormick, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781134053858
Google: _bP9AQAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 19149238
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1985-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

Source: ENDS Report 167, December 1988.

Table 6.2: Planned nitrogen oxide reduction in the EC (thousand tonnes/year, power plants only)

Source: ENDS Report 167, December 1988.

After much debate, the EC agreed on its 1978 directive, allowing member states to set limits at between 0.15–0.40 g/1. (0.15 g/1 is near the lowest level usable in existing vehicle engines without special modifications – the minimum limit was set to ensure that no barriers to trade in motor vehicles could be created by a member state insisting on unleaded petrol.)

The EC proposed a two-stage conversion to unleaded fuel: by 1989 for new model vehicles and by 1991 for all new vehicles, followed in 1995 by the application of US emission standards. But in 1983, West Germany pre-empted everyone by announcing that unleaded petrol and catalytic converters for all new vehicles would be mandatory from 1 January 1986.

The EC charged that the West German move was illegal under existing directives, which bar member states from banning imports of any vehicles that meet EC standards. West German car manufacturers protested that their government’s ban against vehicles without converters would draw retaliation from other EC countries, and UK car manufacturers argued that catalytic converters would increase petrol consumption by 10%. France, Italy and the United Kingdom argued that the West German move would break up the EC road vehicle market and lead to a flood of Japanese cars already fitted with emission controls. France formally complained to the European Commission that West German plans amounted to a barrier to trade under the Treaty of Rome. West Germany for its part quoted Article 36 of the Treaty of Rome, which allows the imposition of trade restrictions on grounds that include “the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants”.

In January 1984 there were signs that the West Germans were beginning to doubt that they could meet their own deadline. In September 1984 they replaced the 1986 target with a decision that all cars sold there from 1 January 1989 would have to be fitted with catalytic converters, although voluntary controls would still be encouraged from July 1986, including providing motorists with incentives like cuts in car tax. This still anticipates by five years the timetable proposed by the EC. In December 1984 the Council of the EC adopted two directives: one agreeing that unleaded petrol must be on sale in all member states by 1 October 1989, and one setting limits on nitrogen dioxide in the air (agreed in March 1985). The European Commission also asked member states to try to agree Community-wide emission standards by the end of 1986.

The EC Council of Ministers agreed in June 1985 to establish standards on emissions from petrol-driven cars of carbon monoxide, HC with NOx, and NOx alone. The standards take into account European driving patterns, and there are different standards for large cars (more than 2 litres), medium cars (1.4–2.0 litres) and small cars (less than 1.4 litres), and different timetables for the introduction of controls. By October 1994,

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