M. whereas the possible widespread use of defeat devices has clear implications for public health, with the Commission estimating that nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), the two primary exhaust elements created by diesel engines, are responsible for over 400 000 premature deaths annually in the EU, and the total health-related costs of air pollution in the EU are in the range of EUR 330 to 940 billion per year;

The transport of goods using heavy goods vehicles is a sector that has been forced to reduce its emissions of harmful substances, including nitrogen oxide and fine particulates, several times over recent years.

Low-sulphur fuels will also allow the use of catalysers which may reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by over 90%.

The national emission reduction plan shall reduce the total annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and dust from existing plants to the levels that would have been achieved by applying the emission limit values referred to in paragraph 3 to the existing plants in operation in the year 2000, (including those existing plants undergoing a rehabilitation plan in 2000, approved by the competent authority, to meet emission reductions required by national legislation) on the basis of each plant's actual annual operating time, fuel used and thermal input, averaged over the last five years of operation up to and includin ...[+++]g 2000.

E. whereas radioactive material is regularly transported over long distances, not only within the European Union but also to and from the European Union and other continents: radioactive sources and other isotopes for research, medical and industrial use (forming the vast majority of such movements); spent nuclear fuel transported to the La Hague and Sellafield reprocessing facilities; the plutonium extracted from reprocessing sent to MOX (mixed oxide fuel) production plants; the final waste product returned to their countries of origin; MOX fuel used in specific types of combustion reactors,

Economics would simply dictate that instead of using MMT a much enhanced refining process would be required which would cause greater volumes of crude oil and greater emissions from the refining process of a number of undesirable elements, including carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. Also concerning environmental pollution, there were a number of studies by Calgary based T.J. McCann and Associates Limited and Environ International Limited of California-MMT is banned by name in California-showing that the likely range of increase in nitrous oxide emissions if MMT were to be banned would be equivalent of adding 32,000 to 50,000 tonnes per year to the environment, the equivalent of putting over a million additional cars on the road by the ye ...[+++]ar 2000 (1630 ) Last May Environ of California concluded that Environment Canada in the McCann study underestimated the annual increase in tonnes of nitrous oxide emissions that would result from the removal of MMT, saying it would result in between 49,000 and 62,000 tonnes more nitrous oxide into the environment.