Environment Minister: Blue Energylabel to come – SPIEGEL ONLINE

A blue plaque should in future cars featuring low pollutant emissions. Environment ministers from federal and state governments want to introduce as a result of the exhaust scandal a new environmental badge in districts with particularly poor air. Thus, municipalities should get the opportunity to express bans on cars below the Euro 6 standard.

It assume that the relevant regulation still could be effective this year, said Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the SPD-led Environment Ministry after a meeting with the Environment Ministers of the countries in Berlin. All Environment Ministers have called for the new regime.

A blue plaque, which takes into account the emissions of nitrogen oxides, environmental groups have demanded for some time. The new environmental zones in which only the lowest emission cars are allowed to drive, would probably have been less than the previous zones for green plaques, Flasbarth said. “This one is a symptom couriers, where there is no other way.” The long-term strategy is, however, to promote low-emission cars. The Environment Ministers of the countries had decided in light of the scandal over manipulated exhaust values ​​in VW to the Special Conference.

Local authorities should not be obliged to set up the new environmental zones. According to the Environment Ministry in the future does not need a driver two plaques – who have a blue, could go into in environmental zones for green plaques. The new driving restrictions should be able to apply to all cars that do not meet the emission standard Euro. 6

Diesel remains low

The cheap diesel tax, however, remains for now. Ministers could not agree on making the fuel more expensive, as some of them had called for.

The conference of environment ministers can take decisions unanimously. A draft proposal of five countries to make diesel on the abolition of tax benefits of expensive, failed, due to resistance from the BWM and Audi -Heimat Bavaria. “We need the diesel for climate protection,” said the Bavarian Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU). “These engines emit significantly less CO2.” Her counterpart from the Saarland, Reinhold Jost (SPD), made clear that he thought nothing of a tax increase.