EU proposes updated emission test procedures for periodic technical inspections
25 April 2025
The European Commission is proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the EU’s road safety and vehicle registration rules that would introduce new emission test methods for particles and NOx. These updated test methods are necessary to adapt to more recent emission control technologies and to identify high-emitting vehicles, including those that have been tampered with.
For Euro 5b and Euro VI and newer vehicles with compression ignition engines, a hot idle PN test with a maximum PN limit of 250,000 (1/cm3) would become mandatory. For vehicles up to emission classes Euro 5a and Euro V, the opacity measurement would apply except that member states may specify a hot idle PN test with a maximum PN limit up to 1,000,000 (1/cm3) for vehicles equipped with particle filters.
For Euro 6d-TEMP and Euro VI and newer vehicles with compression ignition engines, a hot idle NOx test with a maximum NOx limit of 40 ppm would become mandatory. This test has been shown to be effective for detecting an active SCR catalyst in diesel vehicles [6422].
For Euro VI, Euro 6c and newer vehicles with positive ignition engines that had a particle number (PN) limit at type-approval, a PN test would become mandatory. For Euro VI, 6d-TEMP and newer vehicles with a positive ignition engine, a NOx test would be required. Details including limits for these tests applied to positive ignition engines are to be clarified in delegated acts.
The proposal would also require Member States to make use of remote sensing technology to screen exhaust emissions of large parts of their vehicle fleet to identify potentially high-emitting vehicles of any vehicle category. The emissions from these high emitting vehicles would then be checked either at a roadside check or by inviting the owner or holder of the vehicle to a PTI center.
To achieve these and other objectives, the Commission is proposing to revise three directives covering: the periodic technical inspection (PTI) of vehicles, vehicle registration documents, and the roadside inspection (RSI) of commercial vehicles.
The proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure. Once agreed, the Commission will prepare the required delegated and implementing acts for the implementation of the rules.
Source: EU Commission