WRITTEN QUESTION E-0896/02

by Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(5 April 2002)

Subject: OBD Directive 98/69/EC

I have received an inquiry about the Commission report, which was to be submitted by 1 January 2000, on the drawing up of a standard electronic format for repair information (OBD Directive 98/69/EC(1)).

Has that report come out by now and is it available?

If not, what action will the Commission take in this connection, and when will the report come out?

The report and the OASIS project, which the Commission has not pursued further, are connected. Is that project to be taken up again?

What will the Commission do to ensure that, regardless of the existing marketing and repair system, repair information is available to consumers and, in particular, car drivers and owners?

(1) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 May 2002)

In accordance with Article 4(1) of Directive 98/69/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC, the Commission has been preparing a standard format for emission-related repair information. To facilitate international harmonisation the Commission has been following closely the legislative work carried out by the Americain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB). The rules being proposed by EPA and CARB will require a manufacturer to offer emission-related diagnostic and repair information over the world-wide web. Since European manufacturers selling vehicles in North America will have to comply with the EPA and CARB rules it is well motivated to have a similar approach within the Community. Therefore, the Commission is preparing a solution that would require manufacturers to make available all emission-related diagnostic and repair information to the general market through a web-site.

EPA and CARB consider that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard J1930 should be used in the construction of web-sites to provide for standard terms and definitions covering all emission-related information. Similar terms and definitions are laid down by the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) in standard 15031-2 which will be necessary for a Community solution, while also taking into account Community languages. However, the Commission also sees it necessary to standardise, wherever possible, the manner in which an end-user can access information from different manufacturer web-sites that may present information according to completely different layouts. Access to a manufacturer's web-site should be simple and cost-effective to enable end-users, for example independent garages and mobile services, to locate the right information quickly and cheaply.

Therefore, the Commission has decided to actively pursue the so-called OASIS project that will define the necessary parameters for web-site operation and necessary equipment for end-users. While the Commission has yet to decide on how the results of the OASIS project could be implemented in practice, the end result may be the development of an ISO standard that could be referenced in the Directive for the provision of emissions-related OBD diagnostic and repair information. The basic plan behind the OASIS project has been that the necessary work should be carried out by an expert in the field of electronic information standardisation and that progress be regularly reviewed in a project group financed by the various stakeholders. Unfortunately, it has taken a long time to reach a provisional agreement on that group but it seems now to be at hand.

The Commission believes that such an approach will serve the best interests of the vehicle manufacturers, spare parts manufacturers and repairers. Equally important, such an approach will also serve the best interests of consumers by providing all parties involved in the servicing and repair of motor vehicles with efficient and cost-effective access to diagnostic and repair information concerning emission control systems. The Commission will present its report on the development project by the fourth quarter of 2002.