Archived press release

Euro report shatters john major's "clean man of europe" claim

18 April 1997

A secret report presented to the European Council of Environment Ministers in March, and released by Friends of the Earth today, comprehensively shatters John Major's claim that the Government's air quality policies make Britain the "Clean Man of Europe" [1].

The report shows that the UK Government is repeatedly arguing against measures to further tighten proposed European standards for cleaner cars and fuels [2]. The UK is:

. one of five countries who want to delay setting long term targets for emissions from new cars [3];

. one of six countries who are fighting German and Scandinavian proposals for cleaner fuels [4];

. one of five countries who are undermining plans to phase out leaded petrol by 2000[5];

. one of seven countries who are resisting German and Scandinavian moves to make cleaner low sulphur fuels mandatory [6];

. one of seven countries who want to delay setting long term fuel quality targets [7];

. not one of five countries calling for a greater reduction of cancer-causing benzene in petrol [8].

All in all, the report lists seven issues on which the European countries disagree about proposals for cleaner fuels and vehicles. The UK Government is arguing for weaker or watered down proposals in all seven of these areas.

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Roger Higman, Senior Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"Far from making Britain the 'Clean Man of Europe', John Major's Government has repeatedly argued against key measures needed to further reduce the dangerous pollutants being spewed into the air from car exhausts".

"The Danes, German, Swedes, Austrians and Finns are the real clean men of Europe. In dealing with traffic pollution, this report shows John Major's Britain still languishes toward the bottom of the European league."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] On 12 March, the Prime Minister John Major launched the Government's National Air Quality Strategy. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, he claimed that "we are now the Clean Man of Europe". He said that "the Government has consistently taken a lead on green issues, both here and abroad".

[2] Friends of the Earth has obtained a report from the Permanent Representatives Committee (diplomats representing each European country in Brussels in the absence of Ministers) to the European Council of Environment Ministers meeting on 3-4 March, 1997. This details progress on negotiations over proposed Directives on new standards for the emissions of new cars (96/0164/COD) and the quality of fuels(96/0163/COD).

The proposed Directives both tighten existing standards, but there is considerable debate between European countries as to whether they go far enough.The report lists seven areas of disagreement between countries on the strength of the proposed Directives. The UK argued for weaker or watered down measures in all seven areas (see below).

[3] As part of its Directive on new standards for the emissions of new cars (to apply from 2000), the European Commission also proposed to set long term standards to come into effect from 2005. These would give the motor industry targets to aim for which would be subject to confirmation by the end of 1998. The UK joined with Spain, France, Ireland and Italy in arguing that long term emission standards should not be incorporated in the Directive at this stage. Denmark, Finland, Austria and Sweden felt standards should be included as indicative of future standards now,while Germany favoured making the proposed 2005 standards mandatory straightaway.

[4] The UK with Belgium, Greece, France, Ireland and the Netherlands "broadly favour"the proposed Commission Directive on fuel quality or consider the proposals "a good basis for further work". Denmark, Germany, Austrian, Finland and Sweden all feel the proposed standards "do not go far enough" and have put forward amendments to tighten them.

[5] The European Commission's proposed fuel quality directive contains an article requiring leaded petrol to be phased out by 2000. The UK joined with Greece, Spain,Italy and Portugal in expressing "serious doubts" about the proposal whereas Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Sweden gave it their general support. The UK argued that the ban be delayed until 2005 and that special kinds of vehicle be exempted.

[6] The European Commission's proposed fuel quality directive contains plans to reduce the sulphur content of petrol and diesel, to come into effect from the year 2000. Lower sulphur levels reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from petrol cars and particulate emissions from diesels.Lowering sulphur content is also essential for the introduction of more advanced emissions-reducing catalysts and engines (ref. Arthur D Little "Sulphur in Transport Fuels" 1997).

The Commission's proposals for reducing the sulphur content of petrol and diesel have been widely criticised as being too weak. Last week the European Parliament voted to make them much stronger. However, the UK has joined with Greece, Spain,France, Ireland, Italy and Portugal in arguing in favour of the Commission's proposals or "that they not be lowered", whereas Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg,Austria, Finland and Sweden all "insist on having much lower values".

[7] Unlike the proposed Directive on emissions from new cars (see [3] above), the European Commission's proposed fuel quality directive contains no long term targets for fuel quality. Germany, Austria, Finland and Sweden argued for very tough compulsory fuel quality standards to be agreed now, to come into effect from 2005.These would act as a long term target for the oil industry. The Danes argued the standards be set now, but be subject to confirmation later. The UK joined with Greece, Spain, France, ireland, Italy and Portugal in arguing no long term targets should be set at all in the current Directive.

[8] The European Commission proposes that the maximum content of benzene in petrol be reduced to 2% by 2000. Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria and Sweden have called for this limit to be reduced to 1%. The UK hasn't.

[Index]

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