. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/56 
18 February 2004  
 
(04-0670) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Communities 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, 
Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Motor vehicles and 
frontal protection systems either fitted to a mo tor vehicle or marketed  as separate technical 
units. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a 
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the use of frontal protection systems on motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC 
(31 pages, available in all EU languages).      
6. Description of content:   The proposal lays down the basic requirements to be fulfilled in 
the design of the frontal protection systems, su ch as bull bars, to be originally fitted to 
motor vehicles or put into the market as separate technical units.  Under the proposal, 
frontal protection systems will have to pass a number of tests in order to demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in the directive.   
It is proposed that as of 1 July 2005, Member  States could no longer grant EC type-approval 
for a type of vehicle on grounds relating to the fitting of frontal protection systems, or for a 
type of frontal protection system supplied as separate technical unit, if the requirements set out in the directive are not fulfilled.  As of  1 January 2006, all new vehicles which are fitted 
with frontal protection systems and all new fr ontal protection systems put on the market will 
have to comply with the proposed requirements.   
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The aim of this proposal is to improve the protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable 
road users in case of injuri es resulting from a collision with a motor vehicle fitted with 
frontal protection systems. G/TBT/N/EEC/56 
Page 2  
 
8. Relevant documents:   COM(2003) 586 final.  The proposal is available in all EU 
languages at the following address: 
 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/automotive  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  June 2004 
Proposed date of entry into force:  The directive will enter into force on the 20th day from 
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. 
Date of transposition:  Member States shall a dopt and publish, by 30 June 2004 at the latest, 
the laws, regulations and administrative provisions  necessary to comply with this Directive. 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days after notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int