Balancing market needs and environmental protection: Vehicle approval in the European Union

Road transport today is responsible for almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, and poses a set of challenges. Traditional regulatory instruments, adopted by the European Union to reduce vehicle emissions, are increasingly accompanied by measures that promote the use of alternative fuels and propulsion systems that would drastically reduce, if not reset, CO₂ emissions. Some EU Member States are even planning to adopt more drastic measures: banning future sales of petrol and diesel cars. The article will attempt to highlight the special relationship that can be drawn between common market needs on the one hand, and protecting human health and the environment on the other, and then between EU and broader international standards. Both intertwine when enacting and then assessing the normative framework applicable to vehicles, culminating in the complex assessment of EU norms that regulate the approval of types of vehicles. The objective is to consider the current law framework, pointing out its weaknesses and making some de iure condendo proposals.