G/TBT/N/GBR/31  
 
19 February 2018  
(18-1051) 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: UNITED KINGDOM   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
International Vehicle Standards Zone 1/31  
Department for Transport  
33 Horseferry Road  
LONDON SW1P 4DR  
ivs.consult@dft.gsi.gov.uk   
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle -approval   
Name and address (including telephone 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:   
UK TBT Enquiry Point  
Trade Policy Group  
Department of International Trade  
3 Whitehall Place  
London  
SW1A 2AW  
Email: TBTUK_EP@trade.gsi.gov.uk  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 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: cars, buses, trucks and their trailers, including the labels and promotional 
material associated with cars. Commercial vehicles (ICS 43.080), Passenger cars. 
Caravans and light trailers (ICS 43.100).  
5. Title, number of pages and language( s) of the notified document: The Road 
Vehicles (Approval) and Passenger Car (Fuel Consumption and CO2 emissions information) 
(Amendment) Regulations 2018 (14 page(s), in English)    
6. Description of content: The draft regulations make amendments to nation al approval 
schemes for Small -series type approval and Individual approval, which were set up in 2009 
as foreseen under Article 23 and 24 of Directive 2007/46/EC on road vehicle approval. The 
national approval schemes offer manufacturers who sell low volum es of vehicles and sell 
them only into the UK, an alternative to obtaining European Whole Vehicle Type Approval 
(ECWVTA). The regulations include provisions for accepting national approvals from other 
member states, in line with Articles 23 -6, 23 -7 and 24 -6 of the Directive which specify the 
Mutual Recognition procedures which must be followed. The technical standards for the 
national approval schemes have been updated to cover the latest EU regulations on 
Emissions and Safety, and are closely based on the requirements in the relevant EC 
Directives.  
In addition we are proposing an amendment to passenger car fuel consumption G/TBT/N/GBR/31  
 
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  regulations, in order to implement Commission Recommendation of 31.5.2017 on the use 
of fuel consumption and CO2 emission values type-approved and measured in accordance 
with the World Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) when making information 
available for consumers pursuant to Directive 1999/94/EC of the European Parliament and 
of the Council around the introduction o f WLTP testing.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment; The Directive allows Member States to operate 
national approval schemes, which must remain within certain parameters. Indu stry and 
other stakeholders in the UK use such schemes in order to maintain choice in the 
marketplace, to permit low volume specialist vehicles to continue to be sold, to permit 
individuals to import vehicles from outside the EC, and to protect small busin esses selling 
low volume vehicles. The schemes require amendment to ensure that the latest EU 
requirements on emissions testing and safety equipment are clearly specified in the 
regulations governing the scheme, whilst maintaining suitable exemptions for l ow volume 
producers and importers.  
At the same time, due to the implementation of a new WLTP laboratory test into EU law, 
the fuel consumption figures thereby obtained need to be provided in labels in showrooms 
and promotional literature. Recommendations 1  and 2 of the Commission Recommendation 
of 31.5.2017 mentioned above are being put into law, whilst the other Recommendations 
will be implemented administratively or via Guidance. However, the UK is delaying 
changeover in "regulated literature" of the WLTP  CO2 emissions figures until 6 April 2020, 
to align with the date when the basis for UK car taxation is changing to WLTP CO2 
emissions results. These figures (WLTP CO2) will of course be available from 
manufacturers and the relevant government website, but  will not be classed as the "official 
CO2 figures" until this date, to avoid confusion for consumers with the tax regime.  
8. Relevant documents:  The Road Vehicles (Approval) and Passenger Car (Fuel 
Consumption and CO2 emissions information) (Amendment) Re gulations 2018.  
The Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2009, SI 2009/717.  
The Passenger Car (Fuel Consumption and CO2 emissions information) Regulations 2001, 
SI 2001/3523.   
9. Proposed date of adoption: 29 May 2018  
Proposed date of entry into force: 1 July 2018  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/TBT/GBR/18_0968_00_e.pdf