EU: Update of Euro 7 conditions for testing compliance with brake particle emission limits 

 

The EU has proposed a revision of its secondary legislation, in the form of a delegated act, to update the conditions for testing compliance with brake particle emission limits under the Euro 7 Regulation. Addressing brake emissions is essential to ensure that type-approval can be implemented effectively from the outset of Euro 7. Improving testing procedures will also support the EU’s objective of reducing vehicle pollution, enhancing air quality, and promoting environmental sustainability across Member States. 

Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 includes Table 4, which sets out the testing conditions for verifying compliance with brake particle emission limits. At present, the table requires testing of light-duty vehicles in accordance with UN Global Technical Regulation No. 24 on the laboratory measurement of brake emissions. 

Recent technological advances are reflected in the newer UN Regulation No. 179 on the laboratory measurement of brake emissions for light-duty vehicles. This regulation is based on data collected from testing Euro 7 brake systems and introduces further harmonisation and improvements to testing conditions. These include enhanced testing environments, more precise measurement of PM10, PM2.5, and particle numbers, the inclusion of emerging technologies such as brakes fitted with passive or active emission-reduction filters, and methods for calculating emissions at the whole-vehicle level. 

In light of these developments, it is appropriate to update Table 4 in Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 by replacing the reference to UN Global Technical Regulation No. 24 with a reference to UN Regulation No. 179. 

Given that UN Regulation No. 179 comprehensively covers light-duty vehicle categories, this Regulation should be aligned with it to ensure harmonised standards. It should therefore apply to vehicles in categories M1 and N1, as well as to Euro 7ext vehicles, in accordance with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1257. 

Accordingly, Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 should be amended.