Protection of the environment and improvement of air quality is an important objective of the
European Commission. In the automotive industry, EU legislation and standards aim to reduce the emission
of CO2, NO2 and particulate matter. The Commission also works on noise reduction and the elimination of
fluorinated greenhouse gases used in mobile air-conditioning systems.
Emissions
Road transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, producing around 15% of the EU's CO2
emissions. The Commission focuses on the reduction of emissions from the following vehicle categories in
particular:
light-duty vehicles (cars and vans)
heavy duty vehicles (coaches, buses, trucks)
non-road mobile machinery (excavators, bulldozers, front loaders)
