The European Environment Council has agreed to amend a directive concerning emissions from Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM).

Directive 97/68/EC, which refers to engines not intended for the transport of goods or passengers on the road, will provide clearer definitions of the level of emissions permissible in the EU.

The new additions add to the previous compass of the directive regarding inland waterway vessels, such as tugs or pusher craft built to tow or push vessels of 20 metres or more.

A draft report on NRMM emission has also been considered by the Council, which recommends further extensions to the scope of the directive.

All railway applications, the report by Bernd Lange suggests, should be covered by the directive's prescriptions, and a commitment made to further emissions reductions in the future.

A more general commitment to achieve alignment with other directives, such as those for on-road vehicles and standards enforced in the US, is also proposed by the report.