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The European commission is believed to be considering a "traffic lights" system whereby red dots or stars would mark out high-emission cars, and green ones low-pollution ones. An alternative may be an alphabetical system of A-G grades for pollution levels.

As a result, magazine publishers, advertising executives, TV bosses and car manufacturers are to protest today when they meet senior commission officials. "The massed ranks of the media are up in arms," said Angela Mills Wade, executive director of the European Publishers Council.

The new rules would force advertisers to leaven their creativity by including information on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in their sales pitches. -- Guardian