Emission standard

The European Commission announced today that it is taking Bulgaria to court on three cases - for clean vehicles, for the electronic toll service and for the marketing of natural mineral and spring waters.

Clean vehicles

European Union countries gave final approval on Tuesday to a landmark law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, after Germany won an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.

The approval from EU countries' energy ministers means Europe's main climate policy for cars can now enter into force - after weeks of delay caused by last-minute opposition from Germany.

Germany and the European Union announced on March 25 that they have reached an agreement in their dispute over the future of cars with combustion engines, allowing the registration of new vehicles with such engines even after 2035 provided they use climate-neutral fuel only.

Amid complaints that Serbia is importing too many ancient, high-polluting cars, the government is reportedly considering banning the further import of so-called Euro 3 cars - passenger vehicles that meet the EU emissions standards set for 2000 to 2005.

Volkswagen's German carmaker fined €135m by a Toronto court after pleading guilty to 58 counts of violating Canadian environmental laws in a worldwide scandal for manipulating data on the diesel emissions of his cars, France Press and DPA reported.

The aim is to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and fine particulates.

The United States Department of Justice has launched a preliminary anti-cartel investigation into the practices of automotive giants Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen, Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) proposes a ban on imports of diesel cars that do not meet the Euro 4 standard, which entered into force on January 1, 2005, according to the 24Hours newspaper.

In less than five years, we have implemented the largest programme for replacing the city's bus fleet.

EU officials are still waiting to receive crucial air pollution reduction programmes from fifteen EU governments, including France, Germany, Poland and Spain.