Thank you for your Explanatory Memorandum on the proposals for a Euro VI standard for heavy duty vehicles. Sub-Committee B considered it at its meeting on 18 February and it was agreed to hold the document under scrutiny.

The Committee noted your concerns regarding the increase in fuel consumption caused by the higher emissions limits and the reliance on technological advances to off-set these. The Committee will be interested to receive further details once an Impact Assessment has been carried out. In particular, the Committee would be grateful if further details could be given to account for the discrepancy between the Government's fuel consumption estimates and the Commission's.

  The Committee would also appreciate further comment on the methods of both enforcement and in-service measurement of these standards. In cases where a vehicle registered in one Member State is found to be contravening these emissions limits whilst operating in another Member State, how and by whom are these regulations to be enforced? Also, whilst the Committee appreciates the Commission's commitment to develop suitable technologies to test for in-service compliance, more detail about the procedure and process for ensuring in-service compliance would be appreciated.

  The Committee also noted the Government's statement that fuel consumption of heavy goods vehicles has only improved by around 1% per year for the last 10 years, and that this rate of improvement cannot be guaranteed. The Committee would be interested in the Government's view on how these proposals link in with other EU initiatives to improve the environmental impact of road vehicles and whether this might affect the estimated increase in CO2 emissions caused by increased fuel consumption.

19 February 2008