China's vehicle taxation and charging system should be improved so vehicle emissions can be better controlled, experts with a China-EU project on emissions control said yesterday.

The system should be changed from being mainly based on charges to taxation, according to a report by the Vehicle Emissions Control Project.

The report points out there are disadvantages in the existing taxation and charging system for vehicles.

For example, the current system has not clearly different policies for energy efficient vehicles and guzzlers.

The improved system should be designed to encourage the purchase of vehicles, especially those with low emissions, so pollution levels can be cut and emission-control techniques of domestic vehicle manufacturers can be developed.

The principles of "those who benefit pay the cost" and "the more one uses the road, the more one pays" should be fully adopted so people are willing to reduce vehicle use, the report suggests.

In addition, the taxation and charging system should also encourage the sale and use of quality fuels, it says.

Vehicle emissions have become a major contributor to air pollution in many Chinese cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, with the number of vehicles on the roads increasing rapidly.

A co-operative research project between the EU and the State Environmental Protection Administration, started at the end of 2000 to assist China to develop regulations and standards for vehicle emissions control.

It was undertaken by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences at Tsinghua University and the Beijing Automotive Research Institute with a donation of more than 830,000 euros (US$828,000) from the European Commission.

The project covers five subjects, including regulations for new vehicles, fuel quality, the inspection and maintenance of in-use vehicles, and quality control.

Over 80 experts and government officials are holding discussions at a two-day workshop on the results of the project, which opened in Beijing yesterday.

The project will conclude at the end of the workshop.

(China Daily December 10, 2002)