Vietnam's new vehicle emission limits start in 2017

Vietnam's government has set a time frame for the introduction of vehicle emissions rules based on EU standards. Only newly manufactured, assembled or imported motor vehicles will be required to comply with the tightened emission limits which will come into effect in 2017, reports Vietnam News Agency.

Vehicles will be required to meet a level of emission control standards compiled by the European Union for all new land vehicles, ranging from Euro 1 to Euro 5. Cars will be required to increase standards from Euro 2 to Euro 4, and five years later, Euro 5.

Vietnam has applied the Euro 2 standard since 2007, but lags behind neighbouring countries such as Thailand and China which have applied Euro 3 standards for several years, said the general director of the Vietnam Register Department, Trinh Ngoc Giao.

He said after listening to suggestions from relevant ministries and domestic automobile and fuel manufacturers while considering the environmental effects, the transport ministry has decided that Vietnam would need 10 years from when the first set of standards is applied to achieve the latest goals.

There are currently more than 1.55 million automobiles and about 33 million motorbikes in Vietnam. Experts have said that the leading cause of air pollution in Vietnam is from means of transport, particularly engine-run vehicles, which leads to the need for strict limits on emissions.