1.4 million diesel cars in Belgium exceed emission standards, study shows

A study by the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) shows that some 29 million cars and trucks on European roads, of which nearly 1.4 million in Belgium, exceed the EU-imposed standards for nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) of diesel cars, write various Belgian media.

According to the NGO, which conducted measurements on about 230 diesel models, the results are shocking for all carmakers. More than four in five cars sold between 2010 and 2014 met the Euro 5 standard (180g/1,000km) on paper, but in fact emitted three times the permissible limit of NOx as soon as they hit the road, the study reveals.

"One year after the environmental scandal with Volkswagen, car manufacturers continue to sell vehicles that emit more than the EU emission standards allow. It is high time that the EU member states defend the interests of their citizens," said T&E director Greg Archer. He stressed that excessive NOx emissions in urban areas are responsible for the premature deaths of some 72,000 people across Europe each year, including 2,300 in Belgium.