Car Owners Without Catalytic Converters Will Be Fined

As countries intensify measures to reduce CO2 emissions and the presence of catalytic converters in vehicles, the situation in our republic reflects a diametrically opposite process. Today, the buying and selling of catalytic converters has become a lucrative business, as precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, and rhodium are used in their production.

There are numerous advertisements from organizations and individuals offering services for the purchase and removal of catalytic converters on social networks and websites within the Armenian domain.

In the last three years, 100,000 to 190,000 cars have been imported annually into Armenia, with some exported to CIS countries, while a significant portion remains in the republic. During this period, a certain number of catalytic converters have been removed from vehicles, and this phenomenon continues today.

Moreover, there is no clear calculation of how many cars have been imported without a catalytic converter, as since mid-2019, verifying their presence at customs checkpoints became non-mandatory, and some vehicles were imported without inspection of their availability. This requirement has once again become mandatory since January 1, 2020, under the new regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union. In other words, the growing trend in the automotive market is fundamentally opposed to the efforts made by humanity to mitigate climate change and Armenia's commitments in this regard.

Read the full article in today's newspaper.