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Euro IV emissions limits have become a major milestone for the car industry in Europe. To comply with reduced emissions targets, a significant effort was required to minimize light-off time and to improve steady state performance for the pollutants HC and NOx. The main challenges and the technical solutions are discussed in this present work. Among them are substantial catalyst improvements needed to accommodate the progressively more severe agings related to high-speed driving conditions in Europe, and the close-coupled location of the catalyst, with the introduction of the converter welded directly to the exhaust manifold. Vehicles equipped with Euro IV emissions systems have been running in the field for more than 2 years and have shown that only a systems approach, including optimized exhaust manifold and canning designs, robust engine calibration strategies and specifically developed washcoats, can lead to a cost effective emissions solution.