Enhanced R&D cooperation in the motor industry
The establishment of the European Council for Automotive Research and Development (EUCAR) has recently been approved by the European Commission, signalling a very important step for enhanced cooperative research and development within the European motor industry. The EUCAR agreement, concluded by the main motor manufacturers established in Europe, aims to enhance research efforts in the economic, technical and ecological fields. The agreement will allow joint research projects, aimed at improving the competitiveness of the European motor industry, and promoting long-term environmental protection goals, to be launched, discussed and approved. The research will focus on four categories of vehicles: passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and buses. The projects undertaken must involve participants from several European countries and research must be at the pre-competitive stage (products obtained from research must not be directly usable in a specific type of vehicle). Examples of acceptable research projects would include those relating to the use of ceramics in engines or aimed at limiting noise and emission pollution caused by motor vehicles. Parties to the agreement have undertaken to inform the Commission regularly of research projects undertaken.