Abstract. The European Auto-Oil Programme is a joint activity between the European Commission, the European Car Industry, and the European Oil Industry.
In this respect, Auto-Oil is quite a unique collaborative and consultative partnership in Europe. This paper will focus on the process which has made this partnership a success.
The rising public concern about air quality across Europe particularly in cities, due to a continuing increase in the number of motor vehicles and therefore the need to reduce further the motor vehicle emissions, was at the origin of Auto-Oil.
There had already been several steps of exhaust emission legislation for motor vehicles in the EU since 1970.
However, the straight forward and relatively low cost solutions have already been implemented.
A new approach was needed, and this is why the Auto-Oil Programme was established. The Programme represents the largest effort of its kind undertaken in Europe: a lot of resources have been devoted to the study by industry as well as the Commission. The aim of Auto-Oil was to provide an objective, coherent, scientific basis for future motor vehicle emission legislation. - Firstly, Air Quality criteria were established as the basis for future legislation on emission reduction measures. ~ Secondly, the solutions applied to achieve the desired air quality levels would be chosen on the basis of best cost-effectiveness.
This approach is fully consistent with the latest European legislation, i.e., Article 4 of Directive 94/12/EC of the Council and the European Parliament, which requires that, future automotive emission control legislation be based on the same above principies of air quality criteria and cost-effective solutions.
The Auto-Oil partnership has clearly been a success, and may constitute a role model for other future cooperative approaches to solving environmental problems. The approach of the European Auto-Oil Model, based on defined AIR QUALITY standards, for example by the World Health Organisation, is suitable to be used in other areas of the world where the air quality is to be improved on a cost-effective base.
Two key principles formed the foundation for the auto-oil approach:
INTRODUCTION Urban air quality is influenced by many parameters. They include the local meteorology and geography and all of the activities which result in the discharge of emissions into the atmosphere. The major sources of emissions are typically, but not universally, those from commerce and industry, from transportation and from domestic premises including the many services upon which they depend. Data on all of these aspects is essential in determining the factors influencing the major sources of those pollutants which give rise to air quality