The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed that cars, manufactured between 2017 and 2021, must be required to meet Euro 4 emission standards when operating in Hà Nội and HCM City from January 1, 2027.
The proposal was presented on Tuesday afternoon at a meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà, which reviewed the draft Prime Minister’s Decision on the roadmap for the application of national technical regulations on vehicle emissions.
The ministry said the roadmap is designed to tighten control over vehicular emissions, one of the main causes of urban air pollution, thereby protecting public health and improving environmental quality.
The plan gives priority to areas suffering from severe air pollution, namely Hà Nội and HCM City.
Proposed emission roadmap
Under the draft, vehicles will be subject to phased emission requirements based on their year of manufacture.
Cars manufactured before 1999 must comply with Level 1 standards (equivalent to Euro 1) once the decision takes effect.
Cars manufactured from 1999 to 2016 must comply with Level 2 (equivalent to Euro 2) from the date of enforcement.
Cars manufactured from 2017 to 2021 must meet Level 3 (equivalent to Euro 3) standards from January 1, 2026.
Cars manufactured from 2022 onward must meet Level 4 standards from January 1, 2026, and Level 5 (equivalent to Euro 5) from January 1, 2032. For Hà Nội and HCM City, the ministry proposes applying Level 5 earlier, from January 1, 2028.
By January 1, 2029, all vehicles operating in the two cities would need to meet at least Level 2 standards.
Concerns
Deputy Minister of Construction Lê Anh Tuấn expressed general support for the proposed emission roadmap but cautioned that applying Level 4 standards to vehicles produced between 2017 and 2021 in Hà Nội and HCM City could pose challenges.
He added that about 16 per cent of vehicles in this group, mainly lorries and tractor units used in freight transport, may fail to meet the new standards.
A blanket implementation across the cities could significantly increase logistics and transport costs, he said.
He also said that it would be premature to apply Level 5 standards nationwide, as many vehicles produced since 2022 are still exempt from initial inspection, and data on their compliance remains limited.
Implementing the rule too early could result in around 15 per cent of vehicles falling short of the standards, causing major disruptions to the market, he said.
Việt Nam currently has around five million vehicles in circulation nationwide, with Hà Nội and HCM City each managing over one million registered vehicles.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hà stressed that the emission roadmap must be developed in a consistent and coordinated manner, covering newly produced, newly imported, and existing vehicles.
He called for a comprehensive review of all relevant legal provisions to ensure proper jurisdiction and legal form, along with a full impact assessment of any potential restrictions or bans.
It must identify the number of affected individuals and organisations and design appropriate support measures to prevent disruptions or financial hardship for citizens and businesses.
Also at the meeting, the Ministry of Justice also urged caution in applying Level 4 and Level 5 standards in Hà Nội and HCM City, citing the complexity of their expanded urban areas and diverse socio-economic structures.
Euro emission standards
The Euro emission standards set limits on exhaust emissions from motor vehicles sold in the European Union and European Economic Area (EEA).
They aim to reduce air pollution and climate impacts by regulating pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM).
Euro 1 (1992/1993): Introduced for vehicles using unleaded petrol and catalytic converters to reduce CO emissions.
Euro 2 (1997): Applied to all new vehicles, setting separate limits for petrol and diesel engines and tightening emission thresholds.
Euro 3 (2001): Added limits for hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in petrol engines and stricter NOx limits for diesel engines.
Euro 4 (2006): Further reduced permissible emissions, focusing on cleaner exhaust gases.
Euro 5 (2011): Imposed tougher limits, especially on diesel vehicles, requiring the use of particulate filters to meet new standards.
(VNS)
