DIRECTIVE 97/68/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 December 1997 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from internal combustion engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (3), in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 11 November 1997,
(1) Whereas the Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development (4) recognizes as a fundamental principle that all persons should be effectively protected against recognized health risks from air pollution and that this necessitates in particular the control of emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulates (PT) - black smoke, and other pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO); whereas with regard to the prevention of tropospheric ozone (O3) formation and its associated health and environmental impact, the emissions of the precursors nitrogenoxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC) must be reduced; whereas the environmental damage caused by acidification will also require reductions inter alia on the emission of NOx and HC;
(2) Whereas the Community signed the UN/ECE protocol on volatile organic compound (VOC) reduction in April 1992 and adhered to the protocol on NOx reduction in December 1993, both of which are related to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution which was approved in July 1982;
(3) Whereas the objective of reducing the level of pollutant emissions from non-road mobile machinery engines and the establishment and operation of the internal market for engines and machinery cannot be sufficiently achieved by individual Member States, and can therefore be better achieved by the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures against air pollution by engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery;
(4) Whereas recent investigations undertaken by the Commission show that the emissions from non-road mobile machinery engines constitute a significant proportion of the total man-made emissions of certain noxious atmospheric pollutants; whereas the category of compression ignition engines which will be regulated by this Directive is responsible for a considerable share of air pollution by NOx and PT, in particular when it is compared with that coming from the road transport sector;
(5) Whereas emissions from non-road mobile machinery operating on the ground equipped with compression ignition engines, and in particular the emissions of NOx and PT, constitute a primary cause of concern in this area; whereas these sources should be regulated in the first instance; whereas, however, it will also be appropriate subsequently to extend the scope of this Directive to include the control of emissions from other non-road mobile machinery engines, including transportable generating sets, based on appropriate test cycles, and in particular from gasoline engines; whereas a considerable reduction of the CO and HC emissions may be achievable with the envisaged enlargement of the scope of this Directive to include gasoline engines;
(6) Whereas emissions control legislation on agricultural and forestry tractor engines, ensuring a level of environmental protection equivalent to the level established pursuant to this Directive, with standards and requirements fully consistent with it, should be introduced as soon as possible;
(7) Whereas, in respect of certification procedures, that type-approval approach has been taken which, as a European method, has stood the test of time for approvals of road vehicles and their components; whereas, as a new element, the approval of a parent engine on behalf of a group of engines (engine family) built using similar components according to similar construction principles, has been introduced;
(8) Whereas the engines produced in compliance with the requirements of this Directive will have to be accordingly marked and notified to the approval authorities; whereas, in order to keep administrative burdens low, no direct control by the authority of the engine production dates relevant for strengthened requirements has been foreseen; whereas this freedom for the manufacturers requires them to facilitate the preparation of spot checks by the authority and to make available relevant production planning information at regular intervals; whereas absolute compliance with notification made in accordance with this procedure is not obligatory but a high degree of compliance would facilitate the approval authorities' planning of assessments and contribute to a relationship of increased trust between manufacturers and type-approval authorities;
(9) Whereas approvals granted in accordance with Directive 88/77/EEC (5) and with UN/ECE Regulation 49 Series 02, as listed in Annex IV, Appendix II to Directive 92/53/EEC (6) are recognized as equivalent to those required by this Directive in its first stage;
(10) Whereas engines which are in compliance with the requirements of this Directive and covered by its scope must be permitted to be placed on the market in the Member States; whereas these engines must not be subject to any other national emission requirement; whereas the Member State granting approvals will take the necessary control measures;
(11) Whereas, in laying down the new test procedures and limit values, it is necessary to take into account the specific usage patterns of these types of engines;
(12) Whereas it is appropriate to introduce these new standards according to the proven principle of a two-stage approach;
(13) Whereas, for engines with higher power output, the achievement of substantial emission reduction seems to be easier, as existing technology that has been developed for engines of road vehicles can be used; whereas, taking this into account a staggered implementation of the requirements has been foreseen, beginning with the highest of three powerbands for stage I; whereas this principle has been retained for stage II with the exception of a new fourth powerband not covered by stage I;
(14) Whereas for this sector of non-road mobile machinery applications, which is now regulated and is the most important one besides agricultural tractors if compared with emissions coming from road transport, a considerable reduction of emissions can be expected by the implementation of this Directive; whereas due to, in general, very good performance of diesel engines with respect to CO and HC emissions, the margin for improvement in respect of the total amount emitted is very small;
(15) Whereas, in order to make provision for the case of exceptional technical or economic circumstances, procedures have been integrated which could exempt manufacturers from the obligations arising from this Directive;
(16) Whereas, in order to ensure 'conformity of production`(COP) once an approval is granted for an engine, manufacturers will be required to provide corresponding arrangements; whereas provisions have been made for the case of discovered non-conformity which lay down information procedures, corrective actions and a cooperation procedure which will allow the settling of possible differences of opinion between Member States in respect of conformity of certified engines;
(17) Whereas the entitlement of Member States to lay down requirements ensuring that workers are protected when using non-road mobile machinery shall not be affected by this Directive;
(18) Whereas the technical provisions in certain Annexes to this Directive should be supplemented and, as necessary, adapted to technical progress according to a committee procedure;
(19) Whereas provisions should be laid down to ensure testing of the engines in compliance with the rules of good laboratory practice;
(20) Whereas there is a need to promote global trade in this sector by harmonizing, as far as possible, emission standards in the Community with those applied or planned in third countries;
(21) Whereas it is therefore necessary to envisage the possibility of reconsidering the situation on the basis of the availability and the economic feasibility of new technologies and taking account of progress achieved in the implementation of the second stage;
(22) Whereas an agreement on a modus vivendi between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission concerning the implementing measures for acts adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty was reached on 20 December 1994 (7),
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1 Objectives
This Directive aims at approximating the laws of the Member States relating to emission standards and type-approval procedures for engines to be installed in non-road mobile machinery. It will contribute to the smooth functioning of the internal market, while protecting human health and the environment.
Article 2 Definitions
For the purposes of this Directive:
- non-road mobile machinery shall mean any mobile machine, transportable industrial equipment or vehicle with or without body work, not intended for the use of passenger- or goods-transport on the road, in which an internal combustion engine as specified in Annex I section 1 is installed,
- type-approval shall mean the procedure whereby a Member State certifies that an internal combustion engine type or engine family with regard to the level of emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants by the engine(s), satisfies the relevant technical requirements of this Directive,
- engine type shall mean a category of engines which do not differ in such essential engine characteristics as specified in Annex II, Appendix 1,
- engine family shall mean a manufacturer's grouping of engines which, through their design, are expected to have similar exhaust emission characteristics and which comply with the requirements of this Directive,
- parent engine shall mean an engine selected from an engine family in such a way that it complies with the requirements set out in sections 6 and 7 of Annex I,
- engine power output shall mean net power as specified in section 2.4 of Annex I,
- engine production date shall mean the date when the engine passes the final check after it has left the production line. At this stage the engine is ready to be delivered or to be put on stock,
- placing on the market small mean the action of making available on the Community market, for payment or free of charge, a product covered by this Directive, with a view to distribution and/or use in the Community,
- manufacturer shall mean the person or body who is responsible to the approval authority for all aspects of the type-approval process and for ensuring conformity of production. It is not essential that the person or body is directly involved in all stages of the construction of the engine,
- approval authority shall mean a Member State's competent authority or authorities responsible for all aspects of type-approval of an engine or of an engine family, for issuing and withdrawing approval certificates, for serving as the contact point with the approval authorities of the other Member States, and for verifying the manufacturer's conformity of production arrangements,
- technical service shall mean the organization(s) or body(ies) that has(have) been appointed as a testing laboratory to carry out tests or inspections on behalf of the approval authority of a Member State. This function may also be carried out by the approval authority itself,
- information document shall mean the document set out in Annex II that prescribes the information to be supplied by an applicant,
- information folder shall mean the total folder or file of data, drawings, photographs, etc. supplied by the applicant to the technical service or the approval authority as prescribed in the information document,
- information package shall mean the information folder plus any test reports or other documents that the technical service or the approval authority have added to the information folder in the course of carrying out their functions,
- index to the information package shall mean the document in which the contents of the information package, suitably numbered or otherwise marked to clearly identify all pages, are listed.
Article 3 Application for type-approval
1. Application for engine or engine family type-approval shall be submitted by the manufacturer to the approval authority of a Member State. An application shall be accompanied by an information folder, the contents of which are given in the information document in Annex II. An engine conforming to the engine type characteristics described in Annex II, Appendix 1, shall be submitted to the technical service responsible for conducting the approval tests.
2. In the case of an application for type-approval of an engine family, if the approval authority determines that, with regard to the selected parent engine, the submitted application does not fully represent the engine family described in Annex II, Appendix 2, an alternative and, if necessary, an additional parent engine which is determined by the approval authority shall be provided for approval according to paragraph 1.
3. No application in respect of one engine type or engine family may be submitted to more than one Member State. A separate application shall be submitted for each engine type or engine family to be approved.
Article 4 Type-approval procedure
1. The Member State receiving the application shall grant type-approval to all engine types or engine families which conform to the particulars in the information folder and which meet the requirements of this Directive.
2. The Member State shall complete all applicable sections of the type-approval certificate, the model being given in Annex VI, for each engine type or engine family which it approves and shall compile or verify the contents of the index to the information package. Type-approval certificates shall be numbered in accordance with the method described in Annex VII. The completed type-approval certificate and its attachments shall be delivered to the applicant.
3. Where the engine to be approved fulfils its function or offers a specific feature only in conjunction with other parts of the non-road mobile machinery, and for this reason compliance with one or more requirements can be verified only when the engine to be approved operates in conjunction with other machinery parts, whether real or simulated, the scope of the type-approval of the engine(s) must be restricted accordingly. The type-approval certificate for an engine type or engine family shall then include any restrictions on its use and shall indicate any conditions for fitting it.
4. The approval authority of each Member State shall:
(a) send monthly to the approval authorities of the other Member States a list (containing the particulars shown in Annex VIII) of the engine and engine family type-approvals it has granted, refused to grant or withdrawn during that month;
(b) on receiving a request from the approval authority of another Member State, send forthwith:
- a copy of the engine or engine family type-approval certificate with/without information package for each engine type or engine family which it has approved or refused to approve or withdrawn, and/or
- the list of engines produced according to type-approvals granted, as described in Article 6(3), containing the particulars shown in Annex IX, and/or
- a copy of the declaration described in Article 6(4).
5. The approval authority of each Member State shall yearly, or in addition on receiving a corresponding application, send the Commission a copy of the data sheet as shown in Annex X related to the engines approved since the last notification was made.
Article 5 Amendments to approvals
1. The Member State which has granted type-approval must take the necessary measures to ensure that it is informed of any change in the particulars appearing in the information package.
2. The application for the amendment or extension of a type-approval shall be submitted exclusively to the approval authority of the Member State which granted the original type-approval.
3. If particulars appearing in the information package have changed, the approval authority of the Member State in question shall:
- issue revised page(s) of the information package as necessary, marking each revised page to show clearly the nature of the change and the date of re-issue. Wherever revised pages are issued the index to the information package (which is attached to the type-approval certificate) shall also be amended to show the latest dates of revised pages, and
- issue a revised type-approval certificate (denoted by an extension number) if any information on it (excluding its attachments) has changed or if the standards of this Directive have changed since the date currently on the approval. The revised certificate shall show clearly the reason for revision and the date of re-issue.
If the approval authority of the Member State in question finds that an amendment to an information package warrants fresh tests or checks, it shall inform the manufacturer thereof and issue the documents mentioned above only after the conduct of successful fresh tests or checks.
Article 6 Conformity
1. The manufacturer shall affix to each unit manufactured in conformity with the approved type the markings as defined in section 3 of Annex I, including the type-approval number.
2. Where the type-approval certificate, in accordance with Article 4(3), includes restrictions on use, the manufacturer shall deliver with each unit manufactured, detailed information on these restrictions and shall indicate any conditions for fitting it. Where a series of engine types is delivered to one single manufacturer of machinery, it is sufficient that he will be provided with only one such information document, at the latest on the delivery date of the first engine, which additionally lists the relevant engine identification numbers.
3. The manufacturer shall send on demand to the approval authority which granted the type-approval, within 45 days after the end of each calendar year, and without delay after each application date when the requirements of this Directive change, and immediately following each additional date the authority may stipulate, a list which contains the range of identification numbers for each engine type produced in accordance with the requirements of this Directive since the last reporting was made, or since the requirements of this Directive were first applicable. Where not clarified by the engine coding system, this list must specify correlations of the identification numbers to the corresponding engine types or engine families and to the type-approval numbers. Additionally, this list must contain particular information if the manufacturer ceases to produce an approved engine type or engine family. Where this list is not required to be regularly sent to the approval authority, the manufacturer must maintain these records for a minimum period of 20 years.
4. The manufacturer shall send to the approval authority which granted the type-approval, within 45 days after the end of each calendar year and at each application date referred to in Article 9, a declaration specifying the engine types and engine families together with the relevant engine identification codes for those engines he intends to produce from this date on.
Article 7 Acceptance of equivalent approvals
1. The European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may acknowledge the equivalence between the conditions and provisions for type-approval of engines established by this Directive and the procedures established by international regulations or regulations of third countries, in the framework of multilateral or bilateral agreements between the Community and third countries.
2. Type-approvals according to Directive 88/77/EEC which are in compliance with stages A or B, provided for in Article 2 and section 6.2.1 of Annex I to Directive 91/542/EEC (8), and, where applicable, the pertaining approval marks shall be accepted for stage I provided for in Article 9(2) of this Directive. This validity shall be terminated with effect from the mandatory implementation of stage II provided for in Article 9(3) of this Directive.
Article 8 Registration and placing on the market
1. Member States may not refuse registration, where applicable, or placing on the market of new engines, whether or not already installed in machinery, which meet the requirements of this Directive.
2. Member States shall only permit registration, where applicable, or placing on the market of new engines, whether or not already installed in machinery, which meet the requirements of this Directive.
3. The approval authority of a Member State granting a type-approval shall take the necessary measures in relation to that approval to register and control, if need be in cooperation with the approval authorities of the other Member States, the identification numbers of those engines produced in conformity with the requirements of this Directive.
4. An additional control of the identification numbers may take place in conjunction with the control of conformity of production as described in Article 11.
5. With regard to the control of the identification numbers, the manufacturer or his agents established in the Community shall without delay give, on request, to the responsible approval authority all the information needed related to his/their purchasers together with the identification numbers of the engines reported as produced in accordance with Article 6(3). Where engines are sold to a manufacturer of machinery, further information is not required.
6. If, at the request of the approval authority, the manufacturer is not able to verify the requirements as specified in Article 6 particularly in conjunction with paragraph 5 of this Article, the approval granted in respect of the corresponding engine type or family pursuant to this Directive may be withdrawn. The information procedure shall then be carried out as described in Article 12(4).
Article 9 Timetable
1. GRANT OF TYPE-APPROVALS
After 30 June 1998, Member States may not refuse to grant type-approval for an engine type or engine family or to issue the document as described in Annex VI, and may not impose any other type-approval requirements with regard to air-polluting emissions for non-road mobile machinery in which an engine is installed, if the engine meets the requirements specified in this Directive as regards the emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants.
2. TYPE-APPROVALS STAGE I
(ENGINE CATEGORIES A/B/C)
Member States shall refuse to grant type-approval for an engine type or engine family and to issue the document as described in Annex VI, and shall refuse to grant any other type-approval for non-road mobile machinery in which an engine is installed:
after 30 June 1998 for engines of a power output:
TABLE
if the engine fails to meet the requirements specified in this Directive and where the emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants from the engine do not comply with the limit values as set out in the table in section 4.2.1 of Annex I.
3. TYPE-APPROVALS STAGE II
(ENGINE CATEGORIES: D, E, F, G)
Member States shall refuse to grant type-approval for an engine type or engine family and to issue the document as described in Annex VI, and shall refuse to grant any other type-approval for non-road mobile machinery in which an engine is installed:
TABLE
if the engine fails to meet the requirements specified in this Directive and where the emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants from the engine do not comply with the limit values as set out in the table in section 4.2.3. of Annex I.
4. REGISTRATION AND PLACING ON THE MARKET: ENGINE PRODUCTION DATES
After the dates referred to hereafter, with the exception of machinery and engines intended for export to third countries, Member States shall permit the registration, where applicable, and placing on the market of new engines, whether or not already installed in machinery, only if they meet the requirements of this Directive, and only if the engine is approved in compliance with one of the categories as defined in paragraphs 2 and 3.
TABLE
Nevertheless, for each category, Member States may postpone each date mentioned in the above requirement for two years in respect of engines with a production date prior to the said date.
The permission granted for stage I-engines shall be terminated with effect from the mandatory implementation of stage II.
Article 10 Exemptions and alternative procedures
1. The requirements of Article 8(1) and (2) and of Article 9(4) do not apply to:
- engines for use by the armed services,
- engines exempted in accordance with paragraph 2.
2. Each Member State may, at the request of the manufacturer, exempt end-of-series engines which are still in stock, or stocks of non-road mobile machinery in respect of their engines, from the time limit(s) for placing on the market set out in Article 9(4) in accordance with the following conditions:
- the manufacturer must submit an application to the approval authorities of that Member State which approved the corresponding engine type(s) or engine family(ies) before the entry into force of the time limit(s),
- the application of the manufacturer must include a list as defined in Article 6(3) of those new engines which are not placed on the market within the time limit(s); in the case of engines covered by this Directive for the first time, he must submit his application to the type-approval authority of that Member State where the engines are stored,
- the request must specify the technical and/or economic reasons on which it is based,
- the engines must conform to a type or family for which the type-approval is no longer valid, or which did not need a type-approval before, but which have been produced according to the time limit(s),
- the engines must have been physically stored within the Community within the time limit(s),
- the maximum number of new engines of one or more types placed on the market in each Member State by the application of this exemption must not exceed 10 % of the new engines of all types concerned placed on the market in that Member State during the previous year,
- if the request is accepted by the Member State, the latter must, within one month, send the approval authorities of the other Member States particulars of, and reasons for, the exemptions granted to the manufacturer,
- the Member State granting exemptions according to this Article shall be responsible for ensuring that the manufacturer complies with all corresponding obligations,
- the approval authority shall release for each engine in question a certificate of conformity on which a special entry has been made. If applicable a consolidated document that contains all engine identification numbers in question may be used,
- Member States shall each year send the Commission a list of exemptions granted specifying the reasons.
This option shall be limited to a period of 12 months as from the date on which the engines for the first time were subject to the time limit(s) for placing on the market.
Article 11 Conformity of production arrangements
1. The Member State granting a type-approval shall take the necessary measures to verify, with regard to the specifications laid down in section 5 of Annex I, if need be in cooperation with the approval authorities of the other Member States, that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure effective control of the conformity of production before it grants type-approval.
2. The Member State which has granted a type-approval shall take the necessary measures to verify, with regard to the specifications laid down in section 5 of Annex I, if need be in cooperation with the approval authorities of the other Member States, that the arrangements referred to in paragraph 1 continue to be adequate and that each production engine bearing a type-approval number pursuant to this Directive continues to conform to the description as given in the approval certificate and its Annexes for the approved engine type or family.
Article 12 Non-conformity with the approved type or family
1. There shall be failure to conform to the approved type or family where deviations from the particulars in the type-approval certificate and/or the information package are found to exist and where these deviations have not been authorized, pursuant to Article 5(3), by the Member State which granted the type-approval.
2. If a Member State which has granted type-approval finds that engines accompanied by a certificate of conformity or bearing an approval mark do not conform to the type or family it has approved, it shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the engines in production again conform to the approved type or family. The approval authorities of that Member State shall advise those of the other Member States of the measures taken which may, where necessary, extend to withdrawal of type-approval.
3. If a Member State demonstrates that engines bearing a type-approval number do not conform to the approved type or family it may request the Member State which granted the type-approval to verify that engines in production conform to the approved type or family. Such action shall be taken within six months of the date of the request.
4. The approval authorities of the Member States shall inform each other within one month of any withdrawal of type-approval and of the reasons for such measure.
5. If the Member State which granted type-approval disputes the failure to conform notified to it, the Member States concerned shall endeavour to settle the dispute. The Commission shall be kept informed and shall, where necessary, hold appropriate consultations for the purpose of reaching a settlement.
Article 13 Worker protection requirements
The provisions of this Directive shall not affect Member States' entitlement to lay down, in due observance of the Treaty, such requirements as they may deem necessary to ensure that workers are protected when using the machinery referred to in this Directive, provided that this does not affect the placing on the market of the engines in question.
Article 14 Adaptation to technical progress
Any amendments which are necessary in order to adapt the Annexes to this Directive, with exemption of the requirements specified in section 1, sections 2.1 to 2.8 and section 4 of Annex I, to take account of technical progress shall be adopted by the Commission assisted by the Committee established in accordance with Article 13 of Directive 92/53/EEC and in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15 of this Directive.
Article 15 Committee procedure
1. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.
2. (a) The Commission shall adopt measures which shall apply immediately.
(b) However, if the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, they shall be communicated by the Commission to the Council forthwith. In that event:
- the Commission shall defer application of the measures which it has decided for a period not exceeding three months from the date of the communication,
- the Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a different decision within the time limit referred to in the first indent.
Article 16 Approval authorities and technical services
The Member States shall notify to the Commission and to the other Member States the names and addresses of the approval authorities and technical services that are responsible for the purposes of this Directive. The notified services must satisfy the requirements as laid down in Article 14 of Directive 92/53/EEC.
Article 17 Transposal into national law
1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive not later than 30 June 1998. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such a reference shall be laid down by Member States.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the provisions of national law which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive.
Article 18 Entry into force
This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Article 19 Further reduction in emission limit values
The European Parliament and the Council shall decide, by the end of the year 2000 on a proposal which the Commission will submit before the end of 1999, on a further reduction in emission limit values, taking into account the global availability of techniques for controlling air-polluting emissions from compression ignition engines and the air quality situation.
Article 20 Addressees
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 16 December 1997.