Brussels, 23/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 23 July, the European Commission presented the European Parliament and the Council with a proposed regulation aiming to simplify EU legislation on agricultural and forestry vehicles (tractors, trailers and towed equipment): 50 directives and the legislation to implement them of all 27 member states will be replaced by just five regulations. The proposal will also reinforce the safety of the vehicles. According to the vice-president of the Commission with responsibility for industry, Antonio Tajani, this proposal “would increase safety of tractors while reducing administrative costs and scratching unnecessary legislation”.
The proposal put forward by the Commission responds to the needs expressed in the recommendation of the CARS 21 report aiming to simplify the whole current regulatory framework for vehicle-type approval. According to the Commission, once it is adopted the proposal will considerably lighten the legislative burden in the field of approvals, by replacing the 24 basic directives (and some 25 modifying directives) in the field of technical requirements for agricultural and forestry vehicles with one single regulation of the Council and the Parliament. Overall, more than 50 directives would be repealed. Basically, the existing framework Directive 2003/37/EC and all of the separate acts of EU legislation laying down detailed technical requirements for tractor approval would be replaced by this one regulation. At the same time, 27 rafts of national legal acts would go in the member states, due to the fact that a regulation is directly applicable. As a result, the “mother regulation” would be accompanied by just three delegated acts, containing technical “clarifications” and the test procedures, together with an implementing act for the administrative elements.
The regulation proposed would also bring in new requirements concerning an advanced safety measure, in other words anti-lock braking systems, as well as future updates concerning braking requirements such as minimum braking distances and the introduction of hydrostatic systems. New technologies such as ABS (anti-lock braking system) are now available and could be implemented in the near future, which would considerably improve vehicle safety. The Commission stresses that research has shown that there would be many advantages in bringing in ranges of new technologies for new vehicles. The creation of common standards would also help to prevent a fragmentation of the single market resulting from different product standards from one member state to the next. (O.L./transl.fl)