An Ireland South MEP wants to close a legal loophole which allows oversized SUVs and pickup trucks to be imported from the US into Europe.
Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú says these vehicles are dangerous and bad for the environment.
She claims the loophole is responsible for a 20% increase in oversized SUVs and pickups being imported from the US into Europe.
MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú says there is a loophole in European law called “Individual Vehicle Approval”.
She alleges this creates a back-channel, by which US pickup trucks and SUVs can be imported into the EU without complying with safety and environmental standards.
Ms Ní Mhurchú says such vehicles are too big for Irish roads and car parking spaces.
She believes they are dangerous because their extremely high bonnet blocks the driver's view of people standing or walking in front.
According to EU statistics, nearly 5,000 Dodge RAMs were brought into Europe in 2023.
Dodge RAMs make up 60% of these imports, and have 3 to 9 times higher emissions than the average new European car.
