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US President Barack Obama is scheduled to announce Tuesday 19 May stricter federal mileage standards that will require a 30 percent reduction in auto emissions by 2016. “The national policy will mimic California’s” standards, which carmakers have been fighting in the courts reports the Los Angeles Times.

The new rules are the result of an agreement reached by the federal government, California and the auto industry. California is currently scheduled to implement its standards this year, which has prompted car industry lawsuits, but under the agreement it will delay until 2012 while the new federal standard would apply countrywide by 2016. In exchange for the delay in California, carmakers have agreed to drop their suits, says the newspaper. Reuters and background, Detroit News