Under newly proposed rules, the sale of unleaded gasoline and diesel for vehicle use in Macau should meet standards equivalent to the Euro V standard. The Executive Council (ExCo) concluded in their analysis of the proposal on Friday.
According to the proposal, “the inspection [of the fuels] must be based on the methods established by the European Union and the national standards of the People’s Republic of China” as well as the rules adopted by the petrochemical industry. The Transport Bureau (DSAT) will be in charge of this inspection.
The draft bill also sets an update mechanism to be reviewed by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) “at least once in a year’s time.”
In order to establish a balance between environmental protection and the need for adjustment from sector operators, the government has set a transition period of 180 days. During this period, Chinese national rules will be introduced, following this, the petrochemical industry standards before finally the entry into force of the Euro V standards.
According to the statement of the ExCo, this draft bill comes in light of the fact that “motor vehicles exhaust gases are one of the major pollution sources of Macau’s air”, which is what led the government previously to review the limits for gas emission.
The measure is in line with the government compromise “to improve air quality and ensure the health of the population,” the statement reads. It is one of the measures implemented in support of broader ambitions of the “use of clean vehicles and to optimize gas emission patterns for motor vehicles.”
ExCo proposed that the draft would enter into force 30 days after the date of its publication. RM
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