Technical

Technical News

Non-Road Mobile Machinery Emissions Directive – Flexibility Scheme
The European Commission has now published their proposal with respect to increasing the number of engines that may be placed in the “flexibility scheme” under the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Emissions Directive, and to extending some flexibility to engines for railcars and locomotives. In sectors other than the railway sector, which is permitted to use a flexibility scheme for the first time during the transition from Stage IIIA to Stage IIIB, the intention is to permit engine manufacturers to place 50 per cent, rather than the usual 20 per cent, of their annual production of Stage IIIA engines on the market following the mandatory introduction of Stage IIIB from January 2011 and up until December 2013.

However, the Commission adopting the proposal only means that it is ready for consideration by Council and Parliament, they may or may not like what is in the proposal. The European Parliament is now effectively closed until September, following which (even if all goes smoothly, and all agree at first reading, which is far from certain) it would likely take at least six months before a vote and publication in the Official Journal. Only then can the process of transposition commence but the Directive can be applied once it has been transposed in one market. As such, the CEA has urged DfT to publish the UK amending regulation almost immediately after the Directive is issued.

If the process is further delayed the benefit will be considerably diminished, though it could be in place to allow OEM's to continue selling after the currently allowed 20 per cent provision has run out for engines in the range 130-560 kW. It may actually be in place ahead of time to assist with 56-130 kW and 37-56 kW engines in 2012 and 13 respectively.