Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on speedometers for two- or three-wheel motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 92/61/EEC on the type-approval of two- or three-wheel motor vehicles` () (1999/C 40/01)

On 9 June 1998 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 100a of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 28 October 1998. The rapporteur was Mr Barros Vale.

At its 359th plenary session (meeting of 2 December 1998), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 73 votes to two.

1. General comments

1.1. Whereas the reasons underlying the obligatory installation of speedometers and odometers in all twoor three-wheel motor vehicles, including low-performance mopeds, are in the interests of road safety;

1.2. Whereas the installation of speedometers in all such vehicles means that drivers are in a position to comply with speed limits laid down by law in force in the Member States;

1.3. Whereas the installation of speedometers in two- and three-wheeled vehicles only serves to provide drivers with immediate information on speed so that they can adjust their driving to the speed limits in force;

1.4. Whereas speedometers which have been manufactured or selected by the manufacturers of the vehicles concerned will always contain an error either deliberately built in by the manufacturer or through a lack of precision of the speedometer, indicating a speed generally higher than actual speed;

1.5. Whereas an error of this type, indicating a speed higher than actual speed, is in the interests of road safety.

2. Specific comments

2.1. Since the installation of speedometers and odometers constitutes an element of information placing responsibility on drivers, the requirement to install such devices with the reference 'CONF` will also place responsibility on manufacturers, in keeping with their obligation to limit the power and speed of the vehicles concerned, in accordance with the class to be registered.

2.2. The reference 'SD` would involve additional costs placing small manufacturers of components for two-wheeled vehicles at a disadvantage compared to major manufacturers.

2.3. The Committee approves the compulsory installation of speedometers and odometers, viewing this as a positive step over Directive 92/61/EEC, which left the decision as to whether or not to install such devices up to the vehicle manufacturer.

2.4. Compulsory type-approval with the reference 'SD` should be required for new vehicles and, given that the design and launch of this type of vehicle currently takes some two years, it should only come into effect two years after publication of the amended directive. Vehicles currently under production, type-approval of which does not include the reference 'SD` for speedometers and odometers as now proposed, should meet this requirement from that date onwards.

2.5. The mechanical, electric or electronic device for measuring speed built into different instrument panels, possibly with additional features, will probably be the same in different versions of the instrument panel; consequently, type-approval should apply to the speed measurement device and not to the instrument panel as a whole.

3. Proposed modification

3.1. Therefore, only Article 6(4) of the proposed amendment to Directive 92/61/EEC should be reworded and a new sentence added as follows:

'Article 6

(...)

4. Member States shall apply the requirements set out in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 as from 1 July 2001. However, during the two-year period following this date, speedometers and odometers may be installed with the reference "CONF" or "SD".`

Brussels, 2 December 1998.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI

() OJ C 212, 8.7.1998, p. 7.