Singapore will adopt the Euro VI emission standards from Sept. 1, 2017 for petrol vehicles, said Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday.

The new regulation will further reduce NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) and fine particulate emissions, in particular the PM2.5 from vehicular emissions. This move is in line with the NEA's efforts to further improve the country's ambient air quality by regulating vehicular emissions, it said.

Euro VI is the latest engine emission standards set by the European Union (EU). The EU’s vehicular emission standards impose strict rules on tailpipe gas emissions of new vehicles sold in EU member states. They have also been progressively implemented in Singapore and other countries. Currently, the standard for petrol vehicles in Singapore is Euro IV.

NEA?said it has?been in consultation with the automotive industry since early 2014 on the enhancement of vehicular emission standards, in order to provide the automotive industry with sufficient lead time to develop motor vehicles that are able to meet the emission requirements.

It said that industry players had been informed that the stricter standard was expected to be implemented from the second half of 2017.

NEA expects that by September 2017, there will be an adequate supply and range of Euro VI petrol vehicle models for consumers to choose from.

Additionally, NEA will accept petrol vehicles using Port Fuel Injection (PFI) technology that have achieved Japanese emission standards (JPN 2009) as being equivalent to meeting Euro VI emission standards.