The European Commission is said to be preparing to allow new emissions rules after previous rules were criticised for their leniency and thus refused by lawmakers . The Legal Limits Until 2020 (Oct 2015) Earlier in the year , European Parliament members refused a bill demanding on - road emissions testing for new cars , as it also allowed automakers to exceed stated emission limits . It is hoped the new rules will provide greater transparency of emissions testing , said Giovanni La Via , chair of the EU 's Environment Committee : " A proposal for a long - term reform of the EU approval regime for cars is also on the table , as requested by Parliament , " he noted .
The European Commission is said to be preparing to allow new emissions rules after previous rules were criticised for their leniency and thus refused by lawmakers . Earlier in the year , European Parliament members refused a bill demanding on - road emissions testing for new cars , as it also allowed automakers to exceed stated emission limits . It is hoped the new rules will provide greater transparency of emissions testing , said Giovanni La Via , chair of the EU 's Environment Committee : " A proposal for a long - term reform of the EU approval regime for cars is also on the table , as requested by Parliament , " he noted .