Commission Directive 2001/31/EC of 8 May 2001 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 70/387/EEC relating to the doors of motor vehicles and their trailers (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2001-05-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: commercial vehicle, drivers, safety standard, technical standard, technological change, vehicle parts

12.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 130/33

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2001/31/EC

of 8 May 2001

adapting to technical progress Council Directive 70/387/EEC relating to the doors of motor
vehicles and their trailers

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Article 2

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 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,

Having regard to Council Directive 70/387/EEC of 27 July
1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to the doors of motor vehicle and their trailers (3), as
last amended by Commission Directive 98/90/EC (4), and in
particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Directive 70/387/EEC is one of the separate Directives of
the EC type-approval procedure established by Directive
70/156/EEC. Consequently, the provisions laid down in
Directive 70/156/EEC relating to vehicle
systems,
components and separate technical units apply to this
Directive.

Directive 98/90/EC has introduced design requirements
for the steps and handholds of cabs in order to improve
the safety of persons entering and leaving the driver's
compartment of certain heavy goods vehicles.

Certain cab designs already on the market cannot
comply with the specific requirements introduced by
Directive 98/90/EC, although their level of safety is
considered equivalent. It is therefore necessary to further
refine the technical requirements in order to allow such
cab designs.

The measures provided for in this Directive are in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the
adaptation to technical progress established by Directive
70/156/EEC,

1. With effect from 1 October 2001, Member States may
not on grounds relating to vehicle doors:

— refuse, in respect of a type of vehicle, to grant EC type-

approval or national type-approval, or

— prohibit
vehicles,

the sale, registration, or entry into service of

if the vehicles comply with the requirements of Directive 70/
387/EEC, as amended by this Directive.

2. With effect from 1 December 2001, Member States:

— shall no longer grant EC type-approval, and
— may refuse to grant national type-approval,

for a new type of vehicle on grounds relating to vehicle doors
if the requirements of Directive 70/387/EEC, as amended by
this Directive, are not fulfilled.

Article 3

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive by 30 September 2001 at the latest. They shall forth-
with inform the Commission thereof.

those provisions,

When Member States adopt
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 4

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 5

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Done at Brussels, 8 May 2001.

Article 1

Annex III to Directive 70/387/EEC is amended in accordance
with the Annex to this Directive.

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 176, 10.8.1970, p. 5.
(4) OJ L 337, 12.12.1998, p. 29.

L 130/34

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.5.2001

Annex III to Directive 70/387/EEC is amended as follows:

1. The following sentence is added to item 1.2:

ANNEX

‘The last requirement shall not apply to the distance between the uppermost step and the cab floor.’

2. The seventh indent in item 1.3 is replaced by the following:

‘— Longitudinal overlap (J) between two subsequent steps in the same flight, or between the uppermost step and the

cab floor … 200 mm.’

3. The introductory phrase of item 2.2.3 is replaced by the following:

‘In addition, the minimum distance (P) of the upper edge of the handrail(s) or handholds or equivalent holding devices
from the floor of the driver's compartment shall be: …’