| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2014) 581 final (25.09.14) |
| Publication Date | 25/09/2014 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) covers a large variety of combustion engines installed in machines ranging from small handheld equipment, construction machinery and generating sets, to railcars, locomotives and inland waterway vessels. These engines contribute significantly to air pollution and are accountable for roughly 15% of the nitrogen oxide (NOx) and 5% of the particulate matter (PM) emissions in the EU. The emissions limits for these engines are currently set out in Directive 97/68/EC. This Directive has been amended a number of times, but several technical reviews have concluded that the legislation in its current form has shortcomings. The scope is overly restricted as it leaves out some engine categories. New emission stages were last introduced when the Directive was amended in 2004 and no longer reflect the current state of technology. Furthermore, there is a mismatch between the emission limits for certain engine categories. Finally, there is recent conclusive evidence on the adverse health effects of diesel exhaust emissions and especially about particulate matter (i.e. diesel soot). One of the main findings is that the size of the particles is a crucial factor behind the observed health effects. This issue can only be addressed by limit values that are based on a particle number count (i.e. PN limit). Therefore, and in line with the developments in the road sector, the introduction of a new emission stage (Stage V), which would target particle number limits in addition to particle mass limits, appears appropriate for the most relevant engine categories. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2014:0581:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Mobility and Transport |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
