3. Japanese regulations

Japan's engine and vehicle emission regulations are jointly developed by two government ministries:

• Ministry of the Environment (MOE);

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT).

To define standards, MOE relies on the recommendations of the Central Environment Council (CEC).

In Japan, vehicles are divided into different categories according to their use: passenger cars (< 10 passengers), commercial vehicles and heavy goods vehicles. Some vehicles are equipped with very small engines (< 660 m ³ ); if they are dedicated to passenger transport, they must comply with MPV standards, otherwise they are classified as mini-utility vehicles.