14.07.2020

Stage V diesel transition extended

The European Parliament has extended the transition deadline for the adoption of Stage V diesels for small to mid sized engines in off road machinery and tractors by 12 months.

The original deadlines for adoption of 56KW and under 130kW transition engines in all off road equipment was originally the 30th June and 31st December, but given the disruption caused by Covid-19 Lockdowns it was clear that this was causing some significant issues for manufacturers to use the stock of transition engines before the deadlines.

The move has been warmly welcomed by associations representing the sector that campaigned for the delay, including CECE (Committee for European Construction Equipment) and material handling federation FEM.

CECE secretary general Riccardo Viaggi said: “The Parliament’s vote was vital to prevent further economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to our manufacturing industries and protect thousands of qualified jobs that depend on them.”

“Neutral from an environmental perspective, this measure will not soften the stringency of the European legislation. Instead, it will give our industry the necessary time to install transition engines, already acquired, in machines, place them on the market and be compliant with ever more demanding requirements. On the opposite, inaction would have led to unnecessary waste of raw materials and resources, in addition to the financial costs.”