G/TBT/N/EU/357  
 
26 February 2016  
(16-1181)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible: European Commission 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tbt/  
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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Road vehicles in 
general (ICS: 43.020) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Proposal for a 
Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approval and market 
surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate 
technical units intended for such vehicles (COM/2016/031 final) (97 pages + 341 pages of 
annexes, in English, French and Spanish) 
6. Description of content: Type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers 
are currently set out in Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (the "Framework Directive"). This framework aims at facilitating the free 
movement of motor vehicles and trailers in the internal market by laying down harmonised 
requirements designed to achieve common envi ronmental and safety objectives. Directive 
2007/46/EC covers motor vehicles for the carriage of passengers (category M) and of 
goods (category N), and their trailers (category O), as well as their systems and 
components.  
The notified proposal aims at improving the above type-approval framework by focusing on 
the following aspects: 
 introduction of market surveillance provisions to complement the type-approval 
requirements; 
 clarification of the recall and safeguard procedures, as well as the conditions for 
granting extensions to approvals for existing types of vehicle; 
 improving the enforcement of the type-approval framework by harmonising and 
enhancing the type-approval and conformity of production procedures applied by EU 
Member State authorities and technical services; 
 clarification of the roles and responsibilities of economic operators in the supply 
chain, and of the authorities and partie s involved in the enforcement of the 
framework; and G/TBT/N/EU/357 
 
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   improving the suitability of alternative type-approval schemes (national small series 
and individual approvals) and of the mult i-stage type-approval process to provide 
appropriate flexibility for niche markets and SMEs, without however distorting the 
level playing field. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: The draft intends to reinforce the type-approval system, in particular by 
ensuring adequate supervisory mechanisms  to ensure a correct and harmonised 
application of the type-approval procedures. This revision aims to ensure an adequate level 
of protection of health and the environment. 
8. Relevant documents:  
 Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parlia ment and of the Council establishing a 
framework for the approval of motor vehicl es and their trailers, and of systems, 
components and technical units intended for such vehicles: http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1454951147555&uri=CELEX:32007L0046  
 Regulation 765/2008/EC on accreditation an d market surveillance, containing rules 
for the European policy on accreditation (con trol of the competence of laboratories 
and certification/inspection bodies delivering certificates in the EU) and for the policy 
in the field of market surveillance and controls of products from third countries (for 
safe products whatever their origin): http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1454951191749&uri=CELEX:32008R0765  
 Decision 768/2008/EC establishing a co mmon framework for the marketing of 
products, containing standard provisions to be used in EU internal market legislation 
for products (e.g. definitions, obligations of economic operators, safeguard clause, etc.): http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1454951223664&uri=CELEX:32008D0768  
9. Proposed date of adoption: End of 2016 
Proposed date of entry into force: 20 days from publication in the Official Journal of the 
EU (The provisions shall apply from 1 January 2017) 
10. Final date for comments: 90 days from date of notification 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43 
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website : http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-
databases/tbt/  and at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1454951519394&uri=CELEX:52016PC0031   
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_0787_00_e.pdf   
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_0787_01_e.pdf