EC AGREES REDUCTION OF DIESEL EXHAUST EMISSIONS

  The European Community (EC) agreed
  tough new rules to cut diesel exhaust emissions from trucks and
  buses in an attempt to reduce air pollution threatening vast
  stretches of the region's forests.
      Diplomats said EC environment ministers meeting here agreed
  member states would have to reduce by 20 pct over the next few
  years the emission of nitrogen oxide, widely seen as the main
  source of acid rain endangering forests and lakes.
      The reduction would be compulsory for heavy vehicles, with
  tougher standards imposed for new models from April 1988 and
  for all new vehicles from October 1990.
      The EC's executive Commission says the emission level of
  nitrogen oxide was expected to drop to 2.4 mln tonnes a year
  from three mln tonnes within the 12-nation Community if all
  heavy vehicles applied to the new standards.
      There are an estimated nine mln lorries and buses in use in
  the EC, according to Commission figures.
      The ministers also gave West Germany a go-ahead to move
  towards a ban on the sale of leaded regular petrol, after Bonn
  requested permission to do so to encourage the use of
  low-pollution cars, diplomats said.
      West Germany will still need ministers' final approval for
  such a plan. Diplomats said this was expected when EC
  environment ministers meet next on May 21.
      But the ministers added that the go-ahead for West Germany
  did not mean there would automatically follow a Community-wide
  ban on the sale of regular leaded petrol.
      Bonn intends to keep leaded premium petrol pumps, diplomats
  said. They added that, of the 97 mln cars in the EC, only 20
  mln now ran on regular leaded petrol and these would risk no
  damage if they switched over to premium leaded petrol.
      Under EC law, ministers have to give member states special
  permission if they wish to be exempt from Community competition
  laws. This would be the case if West Germany were to implement
  a ban on the sale of leaded regular petrol.
  

