2001/343/EC: Commission Decision of 19 April 2001 concerning a request for exemption submitted by Italy pursuant to Article 8(2)(c) of 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 (notified under document number C(2001) 1093)
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, approximation of laws, commercial vehicle, derogation from EU law, motor fuel, motor vehicle

3.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 122/29

COMMISSION DECISION

of 19 April 2001

concerning a request for exemption submitted by Italy pursuant to Article 8(2)(c) of 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

(notified under document number C(2001) 1093)

(Only the Italian text is authentic)

(2001/343/EC)

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 8(2)(c) thereof,

(5)

(6)

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The request for exemption submitted by Italy on 18
December 2000, which reached the Commission on 21
December 2000, contained the information required by
Article 8(2)(c) of Directive 70/156/EEC. The request
concerns the on-board diagnostics (OBD) requirements
for two class M1 types of compressed natural gas fuelled
vehicle.

The reasons given in the request, according to which
such vehicle types meet the requirements of Annex IV to
Directive 70/156/EEC, apart from Council Directive 70/
220/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be
taken against air pollution by emissions from motor
vehicles (3), as last amended by Commission Directive
1999/102/EC (4), are well founded.

the European
Article 2(3) of Directive 98/69/EC of
Parliament and of
the
requirements of the latter Directive take effect on 1
January 2001 for new vehicles in category M accompa-
nied by a certificate of conformity.

the Council (5), specifies that

OBD however is at a less developed stage for vehicles
equipped with positive-ignition engines which run
permanently or part-time on compressed natural gas
(CNG) and cannot therefore be required on new vehicles

in category M accompanied by
conformity before 2004.

a

certificate of

The validity of the approvals granted pursuant to this
Decision should not be extended beyond the date of
entry into application of the requirements of Directive
2001/1/EC of
the
Council (6) with regard to new vehicles in category M
accompanied by a certificate of conformity.

the European Parliament and of

The measures provided for by this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Committee on
Adaptation to Technical Progress set up by Directive
70/156/EEC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The request submitted by Italy for an exemption concerning
the production and placing on the market of two class M1
types of vehicle powered by compressed natural gas, with
regard to their OBD requirements,

is hereby approved.

Article 2

The validity of the approvals granted in accordance with this
Decision shall take effect on 1 January 2001 and shall expire
on 31 December 2003.

This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 19 April 2001.

For the Commission

Erkki LIIKANEN

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 203, 10.8.2000, p. 9.
(3) OJ L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 23.
(4) OJ L 334, 28.12.1999, p. 43.
(5) OJ L 350, 28.12.1998, p. 1.

(6) OJ L 35, 6.2.2001, p. 34.