EURO IV Directive

Before passenger cars can be type approved for sale in the European Union they must meet certain standards for exhaust emissions. The Euro III limits specified in Directive 98/69, were introduced from 1st January 2000 and became fully effective, for the majority of vehicles, on 1st January 2001. The more stringent Euro IV limits, also specified in Directive 98/69, will be introduced from 1st January 2005 and become fully effective from 1st January 2007, however vehicle manufacturers may seek to meet these limits in advance. The test was modified for Euro III and IV to include measurement of pollutants from the moment the engine starts. In the previous test measurement commenced after the engine had started and idled for 40 seconds.