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Concerned about the new Euro 7 emissions standard: Mercedes-Benz works council chief Ergun Lümali
Photo: Marijan Murat / dpa
Mercedes works council chief Ergun Lümali has criticized the EU Commission's plans for the Euro 7 emissions standard.
"The launch date is unrealistic and does not fit the transformation of the works," Lümali told the dpa news agency.
It is currently planned that the rules will come into force for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from mid-2025.
According to Lümali, however, car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz needed significantly more time for the necessary technical solutions.
The technicians and developers at Mercedes are certainly able to find solutions, but not in this time frame.
"Mercedes-Benz supports measures that help improve air quality," said Lümali.
"I don't know anyone in our company who completely rejects Euro 7." However, the emissions standard must be feasible in terms of time and technology, otherwise the business with combustion engines will be phased out earlier than planned without a rapid ramp-up of electromobility having the effects in the production can balance.
"Thousands of jobs at Mercedes are threatened as a result," Lümali said.
The head of the works council called for the time frame to be revised significantly.
35 percent less pollutants
In November, the EU Commission made proposals to revise the limit values for pollutants such as nitrogen oxides.
EU states and the European Parliament still have to negotiate the project and agree on a common line.
According to the Brussels authority, road traffic is the biggest source of air pollution in cities.
The new standard aims to ensure cleaner vehicles and better air quality to protect the health of citizens and the environment.
The new standards should ensure cleaner vehicles on the roads and better air quality to protect citizens' health and the environment.
Euro 7, for example, is intended to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from cars by 35 percent by 2035, and by more than 50 percent from buses and trucks.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) supports the arguments of car manufacturers like Mercedes - and warns of job losses.
beb/dpa