The Azerbaijani cabinet has decided to implement the Euro-3 emission standard in the country starting in 2012, a senior government official told the press on Thursday in Baku.

Ramiz Hasanov, chairman of the Azerbaijani state committee on standardization, said that the Azerbaijani government had also decided to introduce the Euro-4 emission standard starting from 2015.

Azerbaijan is starting to build its own emission control laboratories so as to better implement the Euro-2 standard which will take effect throughout the country in July, according to the same official.

"We are planning to open laboratories in the regions as well, including Lankaran, Sumgayit and Salyan," said Ramiz Hasanov, "New metrology laboratory was built in Ganja. Oil-chemistry and gasometry laboratories are constructed in Sumgayit."

The Euro standards are a series of emission control standards compiled by the European Union for all new land vehicles including non-road mobile machinery like tractors.

In late 2005, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, started to work on a proposal for a new law to limit carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles.

The EU introduced the Euro-4 standard on Jan. 1 of 2010 and it is going to introduce the Euro-6 standard on Jan. 1 of 2016.