EU Seeking Truck Emissions Cuts

European truck makers would have to cut urban air pollution in the European Union as much as 80% under new draft EU rules that would move Europe closer to U.S. standards, Bloomberg reported Friday.

The European Commission proposed stricter norms starting in 2013 for truck and bus emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. The draft legislation would lower the limit for NOx by 80% and for particulate matter by 67%, Bloomberg said.

The moves would affect Daimler AG and Volvo AB, which also have U.S. units including Daimler’s Freightliner and Volvo’s Mack Trucks.

The push includes tougher standards for automobiles already approved by EU lawmakers, including an 80% cut in particulate-matter emissions from diesel cars and a 25% drop in NOx emissions from gasoline-powered cars, Bloomberg said.