Commission Directive 2001/116/EC
of 20 December 2001
adapting to technical progress Council Directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers(1), as last amended by Directive 2000/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), and in particular Article 13(2), thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Directive 70/156/EEC and its Annexes have been amended several times and, since further amendments to the Annexes are to be made, they should be consolidated into a single text in the interests of clarity.
(2) The provision concerning the necessary administrative documents for whole vehicle type-approval contained in those Annexes should apply to vehicles of category M1 equipped with an internal combustion engine.
(3) The Annexes to Directive 70/156/EEC, as amended by this Directive, also provide for the necessary administrative documents for whole vehicle type-approval for vehicles of other categories than M1 Such approvals should, however, only be granted after the entry into force of a Directive repealing and replacing Directive 70/156/EEC and the entry into force of the amendments which are deemed necessary to the relevant separate Directives for the purposes of application to vehicles of some categories other than category M1.
(4) It is also appropriate to provide for a uniform arrangement for attributing approval numbers.
(5) Directive 70/156/EEC should be amended accordingly.
(6) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress established by Directive 70/156/EEC
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
Directive 1970/156/EEC is amended as follows:
1. in Article 8(2)(c), sixth subparagraph, the following is deleted: "and replace any special approval numbers by normal approval numbers";
2. in Article 8(2)(c), sixth subparagraph, the following is deleted: "and replace any special approval numbers by normal approval numbers";
3. the Annexes to Directive 70/156/EEC are replaced by the text in the Annex to this Directive.
Article 2
1. As regards vehicle type-approval, Member States shall apply Directive 70/156/EEC, as amended by this Directive, only for vehicles of category M1 equipped with an internal combustion engine.
2. As regards vehicle type-approval of special purpose vehicles of category M1, Member States shall, only at the request of the manufacturer, apply Article 4(1) of Directive 70/156/EEC, as amended by Directive 1998/14/EC(3).
3. Article 10 of Directive 70/156/EEC, as amended by Directive 87/358/EEC(4), shall continue to apply to vehicle type-approval of vehicles other than those referred to in paragraph 1.
Article 3
1. As regards the issue of Certificates of Conformity subsequent to EC type-approvals, existing models may continue to be used until 30 June 2003.
2. This Directive shall not invalidate any approval granted before its entry into force, nor prevent extension of such approvals under the terms of the Directive under which they were originally granted.
Article 4
1. Member States shall adopt and publish the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 July 2002. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. They shall apply these provisions from 1 July 2002.
When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 5
This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 20 December 2001.