Morocco Mandates Euro 6 Standards, Driving Up New Car Prices

New vehicles are becoming more and more expensive. At the origin of this surge, the joint decision of Mohamed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics, and Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, on the obligation to comply with "Euro 6" standards for homologation and registration. The joint ministerial order setting the conditions for the homologation of vehicles with regard to pollutant emissions, in accordance with the requirements of fuel engines, published in the Official Bulletin of December 2022, stipulates that the new standards will apply to each homologation process of motor vehicles from January 1, 2023 for vehicles in category M1, and from January 1, 2025 for vehicles in categories M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3. With regard to the registration of motor vehicles, it is specified that "it will not be possible to register any motor vehicle that does not comply with the provisions of the decision from January 1, 2024 for M1 vehicles, and from January 1, 2026 for vehicles in categories M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3".

The implementation of this decision has led to an increase in the prices of new vehicles in Morocco of 10 to 20% compared to the original price, according to a professional source on the Al3omk website. Information confirmed by the presentation note of the draft joint decision, which specifies in its second paragraph that the decision "will lead to an increase in the prices of new vehicles". "The sector is currently suffering from the repercussions of the global crisis and its effects on supply chains, the increase in the dollar exchange rate, the rise in fuel prices and general inflation, as well as the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, which could worsen the financial situation of all professionals in the road transport sector and negatively affect the purchasing power of citizens," the note, signed on December 6, 2022, adds.

Faced with this situation, the National Federation of Tourist Transport in Morocco, in a letter, asked the ministers to postpone the application of the provisions of the decision for a sufficient period, with "the possibility for the tourism transport sector to benefit from a subsidy for the renewal of the fleet, like the other transport sectors, and to financially support the tourism transport sector to renew its fleet with vehicles meeting global environmental protection standards, and ecological vehicles with electric or hybrid engines". It also called on them to "take the necessary decisions in coordination with the other government sectors to prevent the implementation of the aforementioned decision from affecting the prices of vehicles, which have already increased sharply recently, and what they will become after the application of the decision". The federation also reiterated its commitment to "successfully carry out all initiatives aimed at protecting the environment, reducing emissions and combating climate change..."

The European Euro 6 standard is an environmental standard in force since January 1, 2014 in France. It aims to limit the emissions of certain polluting gases from road vehicles by forcing manufacturers to produce cleaner cars and trucks. It has become mandatory in several European countries, banning the circulation of engines that do not comply with it from January 1, 2022.