Beijing will ban the sale or use of vehicles failing to meet European standards on emissions from the start of next year, China Daily said. Vehicle manufacturers will have to apply to the State Environment Protection Agency for a certificate stating that models are fit for the city's roads. An official of the city's environmental bureau said that almost 80 per cent of all light vehicles and half the heavy vehicles in China already meet the standards, which have been in force in most European countries since 1996.
Also at the start of next year, the Europe II standard for petrol, limiting the amount of sulphur and other pollutants it can contain, will be extended to the rest of China from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where it has been in force since 2000.