EU gets heavy-duty on pollution: 1st standards for trucks

BRUSSELS – The European Union has reached a tentative agreement on the first specific EU standards for trucks, to get polluting CO2 levels down.

Tuesday's agreement among negotiators from the European Parliament and member states says that such emissions will have to be 30 percent down by 2030 compared with today's levels. Heavy trucks carry over two-thirds of freight across the bloc.

EU Commissioner Arias Canete said the standards "will help tackle emissions, as well as bring fuel savings to transport operators and cleaner air for all Europeans."

The rules will still need to be formally endorsed but are not expected to pose any political problems after Tuesday's deal. The EU also has such standards for cars and light vans.

The ACEA producer's association called for refueling infrastructures to cope with alternative power sources.