German court mulls diesel car ban

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Europe

Many European cities, as well as Mexico City, are mulling a ban on diesel vehicles from city centers. An environmental group in Germany appears to be at the forefront of the drive, aiming to prevent nearly 13,000 premature deaths annually, blamed on traffic pollution.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) had sued nine cities this year in a bid to allow municipalities to enforce clean air regulations by preventing heavily polluting diesel cars from entering city centers in Europe’s largest car market.

One of Germany’s top courts will give its ruling on Feb. 27. A favorable decision may hit the resale value of about 15 million vehicles and force carmakers to bear the brunt of costly modifications.

DUH Executive Director Jürgen Resch expressed hope that "a clear ruling from the court will mean that people in all German cities will be breathing clean air by the end of the year."

Cars are pictured during morning rush hour at Schildhorn Street in a Berlin, Germany, February 22, 2018. /Reuters Photo

"Germany counts nearly 13,000 premature deaths each year from nitrogen dioxide pollution – our aim is to prevent them,” he told CGTN Digital in an emailed statement.

Legal struggle

Judge Andreas Korbmacher in the federal administrative court in the eastern city of Leipzig delayed the verdict on Thursday, saying the country’s highest federal administrative court would now rule on Tuesday.

Answering a question on whether the European Court of Justice (ECJ) may have to be consulted on the matter, he accepted "a considerable need for guidance.”

“We don’t view this as a case when we have community competence or we have something meaningful to offer,” said European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas on Thursday, adding the Commission was not in charge of traffic regulations in cities.

In next Tuesday's ruling, the top court will decide whether polluting vehicles can be prohibited from the urban centers of the southwestern city of Stuttgart and western city of Düsseldorf.

Danger level

Officials blame diesel cars for 72.5 percent of the harmful levels of pollution as annual levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions exceeded EU thresholds over the last year in about 70 German cities.

Diesel emissions are composed of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter, and are tied to respiratory disease.

Cars are pictured during morning rush hour on the A100 city highway in Berlin, Germany, February 22, 2018. /Reuters Photo

German automaker Volkswagen triggered scrutiny of diesel emissions after it admitted in 2015 to cheating diesel exhaust tests.

It led to a drive against traffic pollution in many cities, including Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City, which plan to ban diesel vehicles from city centers by 2025.

The mayor of Copenhagen has hinted at a ban on diesel cars from entering the city as soon as next year.

In a shift to electric vehicles, Britain and France have announced plans to ban diesel and new petrol cars by 2040.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is viewed as having close ties with the carmakers and has been lobbying against bans. Reports in the German media suggest that the government fears the bans may anger drivers as well as disrupt traffic in cities.

The government, however, appears to do its part in addressing the issue. According to a report in Germany's Spiegel magazine, Merkel's chief of staff Peter Altmaier announced a long list of instruments to combat nitrogen oxide that the government had until recently rejected out of hand.

He even proposed eliminating charges for public transportation "to reduce the number of private automobiles," the report added.

(With input from Reuters)