Following many years of research, discussion and negotiation, the Euro 7 emissions requirements were finally agreed in 2024, and were published as Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 in May 2024. However, before these new Euro 7 emissions requirements could be fully implemented, all of the necessary test procedures, testing methodologies, administrative procedures, etc. needed to be developed, agreed and adopted, and much of this work has been undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE). As with previous EU Implementing Regulations on emissions, the European Commission’s intention was that the required detailed test procedures, methodologies and procedures should be developed within UN ECE and published as new or amended UN ECE Regulations, with the necessary EU Implementing Regulations specifically referencing these UN ECE Regulations.
With regard to three of the specific areas where the Euro 7 emissions requirements introduced entirely new requirements, i.e. brake particulate emissions, in vehicle battery durability and electric range at low temperature, one completely new UN ECE Regulation and amendments to two other existing UN ECE Regulations have been developed. At the UN ECE World Forum for the Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) meeting in March 2026, these new and amended UN ECE Regulations were formally adopted, with the key ones being:
- An 09 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 83 on emissions from M1 and N1 category vehicles.
- An 04 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 154 on criteria emissions, emissions of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption and/or measurement of electric energy consumption and electric range (WLTP).
- New UN ECE Regulation No. 179 on the laboratory measurement of brake emissions for light duty vehicles.
Now that these new and updated UN ECE Regulations have been formally adopted, it has allowed the European Commission to finalise drafting of the related Euro 7 EU Implementing Regulations and, on May 27, 2026, the European Commission published draft versions of the two Euro 7 related EU Implementing Regulations for public comment on their Better Regulation web site.
The first of these draft Implementing Regulations, referred to as Ares(2026)5309002, specifies the rules, procedures and testing methodologies and administrative requirements regarding the brake particulate emissions of M1 and N1 category vehicles, i.e. passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, vans and pick up trucks. This draft Implementing Regulation, which specifically references and requires compliance with the requirements of UN ECE Regulation No. 179, includes Annexes covering test reports, type approval and test procedures, all of which specifically reference UN ECE Regulation No. 179.
The second draft Implementing Regulation, referred to as Ares(2026)5308838, specifies amendments to EU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1706 to introduce specific methods, requirements and tests as well as administrative requirements regarding in vehicle battery durability, electric vehicle range at low temperature and electrified vehicle system power. Essentially, this draft Implementing Regulation proposes adding the following three new Annexes to (EU) 2025/1706:
- Annex XV on in vehicle battery durability, which specifies compliance with the requirements contained in UN ECE Regulation No. 154.04 in relation to Level 1A. This Annex also requires the in-service conformity for in vehicle battery durability to be carried out in accordance with UN ECE Regulation No. 83.09 and specifies a template for the ‘Manufacturer’s declaration of compliance with the in vehicle battery durability requirements’.
- Annex XVII on electric range at low temperature, which specifies compliance with the requirements contained in UN ECE Regulation No. 154.04 in relation to Level 1A and requires the in-service conformity for electric range at low temperature to be carried out in accordance with UN ECE Regulation No. 83.09.
- Annex XIX on system power determination, which specifies that the system power of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and pure electric vehicles (PEVs) with more than one electric motor must be determined in accordance with UN ECE Regulation No. 177.
In addition, the draft Implementing Regulation proposes updates to the existing Annexes of (EU) 2025/1706 to clarify the precise application and implementation of the other updates and revisions introduced by the 09 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 83 and the 04 Series of Amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 154.