Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday announced Government plans to introduce the Euro 5 emissions standard for cars in a bid to reduce air pollution across the country, agenda.ge reports.
The Government Administration cited Garibashvili as saying fuel imports had been limited to conform to the Euro 5 standard over the past few years. The PM however added air pollution remained a “challenge”, with solid particles and nitrogen dioxide being two “problematic and polluting substances” identified in analyses of air quality in the country.
We discussed and decided to introduce the Euro 5 standard for cars in the country. In practical terms, this means that imports of cars produced before 2013 will be restricted. It is our desire and decision that the regulation will come into force for passenger cars from January 1, 2024, and for buses and trucks from January 1, 2025”, Garibashvili said.
The Prime Minister added the new regulations would not affect existing vehicles in the country, or those introduced with re-export and transit purposes.
The measurements of the last four years show us that the main source of air pollution with nitrogen dioxide is this outdated and malfunctioning road transport [...]”, he said, adding 13 out of 25 monitored locations in Tbilisi had detected emissions exceeding regulations.
[I]in these locations, on some streets, the [emissions] are twice the permissible norm [...] This require[s] a timely response”, the Government head added.
Agencies will begin monitoring vehicles for “visible, excessive emissions” in Tbilisi, the nearby city of Rustavi and the western locations of Batumi and Kutaisi this year, Garibashvili also said, and announced an incoming decree prohibiting export of catalytic converters - a vehicle part that limits emissions but has been observed in some cases to be removed from cars to be sold separately.
“[W]e will issue a separate resolution and the export of catalytic converters from the country will be prohibited. It is a sad reality, and in practice we know that cars are stripped of this detail, the catalytic converter, and [the latter are] sold abroad”, the PM pointed out.
