Les Echos reports that the German Government is trying to downplay the importance of a ruling by the federal administrative court in Leipzig which says that individual German cities have the right to prohibit certain types of diesel engines in order to meet air quality targets. Chancellor Merkel stressed that the ruling is relevant only to a few cities. However, Trouw reports that 70 German cities have emission levels exceeding European standards.
The Commission has warned the German Government that if no measures are taken, the case will be taken before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), according to Portuguese media outlets. While the ruling is a blow for the automobile industry, carmakers will be relieved that it only concerns their worst-polluting engines. Indeed, nine million motor vehicles which comply with older Euro 5 and Euro 4 norms, registered in Germany, are targeted by the decision, Radio România Actualități reports.
The court also said special rules should be introduced for business vehicles. The government now expects carmakers to take measures to reduce the emission levels of their engines, Les Echos notes. This, however, would be very expensive. This move has implications in other countries as well, considering that the authorities in Paris, Madrid and Athens have announced their intention to ban diesel motor vehicles in city centres starting from 2025, while Copenhagen plans to do the same as soon as next year.
Experts believe that it is very likely that a conflict may emerge between cities, federal states and federal authorities, the Commission, carmakers, drivers and environmentalists, portal 15min.lt reports. German media comment extensively on the news, mostly criticising the decision to ban diesel vehicles from some cities. Kerstin Schwenn writes in a commentary for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that German cities are now empowered in the battle against air pollution but suggests that, in the end, taxpayers will have to pay the price.
Group Chairman of Bündnis90/Die Grünen Anton Hofreiter and mayor of Darmstadt Jochen Partsch observe in a guest contribution for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the Federal Government’s letter to the Commission suggesting the introduction of free local public transport is an answer to the Commission’s push for improved air quality. Acting Federal Minister of Transport Christian Schmidt assures in an interview on ARD that the Federal Government has always been involved in improving air quality. The diesel ban is not the right way to reduce emissions in Germany, though, he adds. The director of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Gert Landsberg also assures in an interview on ARD that the diesel ban is not the right answer to air pollution, as does Mayor of Mainz Michael Ebling, in an interview on ZDF.
Similarly, German Minister for the Environment Barbara Hendricks said yesterday that German cities can reduce air pollution without banning older diesel cars, Les Echos reports. Henrik Mortsiefer argues in a commentary for Der Tagesspiegel that, even after the Federal Administrative Court’s decision, what will happen in many municipalities remains unclear. However, he agrees that something has to be done in order to respect Brussel’s regulations for air pollution, which have been exceeded by more than 50 municipalities for years.
In related news, on Monday, the Commission decided that the German Government can support the conversion of diesel buses to electric buses in public transportation systems and five German cities will try out free public transportation to encourage the use of public transportation instead of cars, Helsingin Sanomat reports.
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