Azerbaijan has decided to apply Euro-4 ecological standard to improve its environment and public health.

Ramiz Hasanov, head of State Committee on Standardization, Meteorology and Patent said Baku has already bypassed Euro-3 ecological standard for imported vehicles and is now preparing to apply for Euro-4.

Around 100,000 cars were imported in Azerbaijan including over 50,000 of used cars. These figures stood at 64,000 and 27,000 respectively in 2011, he said.

"This is a great figure, which implies the growing impact on the environment and public health," Hasanov stressed.

Moreover, the government plans to update the national cars park through buyout or compensation payment to stop using old cars that damage the ecological environment, Hasanov said.

"The Standardization Committee will also prepare tougher standards for cars security systems, which is necessary for safety of car drivers," Hasanov said.

He said gradual removal of these cars is made in order to improve the ecological condition and to protect the health of citizens.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building Ali Huseynli, in turn, said the government is pondering on tightening administrative penalties for environmental polluters in connection with the introduction of the new standard.

The new standard will limit the import of the old cars in the country.
Cars import restrictions

Officials say implementing the Euro-4 does not directly affect the contractual cost of cars, and there is no need to revise the mechanism of customs valuation of cars.

The State Customs Committee is ready to introduce ecological standard of Euro-4, Head of Main Department on Road Transport of the committee Ismail Huseynov said at a meeting with representatives of the management companies importing cars in the country.

"The State Committee will tighten its control over imported cars. All the preparatory measures have already been made and all the necessary equipment has been installed," he said.

A special center for issuing the new standard for the imported cars has been set up and procedures related to the issuance of these certificates have been conducted which included electronic circulation of documents. Thus, the certificate will be issued in 10 minutes, while in CIS countries it takes up to 20 days.

From April, only cars made after 2004 in the US, in 2005 in the EU countries, in 2006 in South Korea, in 2009 in Turkey, and in 2011 in China and Japan will be imported in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Russian cars must not short fall of the Euro-4 standard.

The new standard will affect both the quality of imported cars and cars produced in Azerbaijan.
The Euro-4 standard will be also applied to cargo and trains.

Ramiz Hasanov said there are also opportunities for Azerbaijans processing enterprises to ensure that the production of fuel comply with Euro-4 ecological standard in the future.

"Currently, the fuel produced in the country complies with Euro-3 standard and at present, jointly with relevant agencies the State Committee is bracing for applying Euro-4 standard to fuel," Hasanov said (azernews.az).

The Azerbaijan State Oil Company SOCAR is considering the production of fuel complying with the standard of Euro-5 at a new complex for oil and gas processing and petrochemical production.

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