2002/642/EC: Commission Decision of 31 July 2002 concerning a request for exemption submitted by Belgium 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(2002) 2880)
Date: 2002-07-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, EC conformity marking, approximation of laws, commercial vehicle, derogation from EU law, marketing, motor vehicle

6.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 209/27

COMMISSION DECISION

of 31 July 2002

concerning a request for exemption submitted by Belgium 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(2002) 2880)

(Only the Dutch and French texts are authentic)

(2002/642/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 trai-
lers (1), as last amended by Commission Directive 2001/116/
EC (2), and in particular Article 8(2)(c) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The request for exemption submitted by Belgium on 9
April 2002, which reached the Commission on 12 April
2002, contained the information required by Article
8(2)(c) of Directive 70/156/EEC.

The request concerns the installation on one type of
vehicle of category M1 of headlamps with a bend lighting
function. Bend lighting is a function intended to provide
enhanced illumination of the road into bends.

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 76/
756/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the
laws of the Member States relating to the installation of
lighting and light-signalling devices on motor vehicles
and their trailers (3), as last amended by Commission
Directive 97/28/EC (4), are well founded.

(4)

The description of the tests, the results thereof and their
compliance with UN/ECE Regulation No 48, as amended
recently, ensure a satisfactory level of safety.

(5)

(6)

The Community Directive concerned will be amended in
order to permit the installation of such bend lighting.

The measures provided for by this Decision are in accor-
dance 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 Belgium for an exemption concerning
the approval and placing on the market a type of vehicle of
category M1 fitted with bend lighting in accordance with the
draft UN/ECE provisions is hereby approved.

Article 2

The validity of the approvals granted in accordance with this
Decision shall take effect on 1 July 2002 and shall expire on 30
June 2004.

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 31 July 2002.

For the Commission

Erkki LIIKANEN

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 18, 21.1.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 171, 30.6.1997, p. 1.