Sales of new passenger cars in the European Union fell in January. According to the car industry association ACEA, sales dropped 7.5 percent to nearly 957,000 cars compared to a year earlier.

The reason for the lower car sales is some new changes in tax legislation in EU member states, the weaker economy and uncertainty surrounding Britain’s departure from the EU. Sales declines were seen in the major European car markets France, Spain, Italy and Germany. In the Netherlands, sales of new passenger cars fell by more than 6 percent to 44,303 units last month compared to a year earlier.