Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles’ (COM(2018) 289 final — 2018/0142 (COD))
Date: 2018-09-19
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: Community certification, agricultural vehicle, market supervision, tractor, transport safety, vehicle parts








C_2018440EN.01010401.xml










6.12.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 440/104






Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles’
(COM(2018) 289 final — 2018/0142 (COD))
(2018/C 440/17)






Rapporteur:



Mindaugas MACIULEVIČIUS











Referral


European Parliament, 28.5.2018
Council, 1.6.2018




Legal basis


Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union




Section responsible


Single Market, Production and Consumption




Adopted in section


4.9.2018




Adopted at plenary


19.9.2018




Plenary session No


537




Outcome of vote
(for/against/abstentions)


190/2/3




1.   Conclusions and recommendations









1.1.


The EESC welcomes this proposal for a Regulation amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). The proposal follows feedback received by stakeholders and Member States in the first implementation period and therefore it should be supported.












1.2.


The EESC supports the extension for five more years of the power of Commission to adopt required delegated acts, as there is a continuing need to update various elements of the type-approval process.












1.3.


The EESC welcomes the strong commitment of the Commission on consulting various stakeholders and social partners on every initiative in this field.












1.4.


The EESC acknowledges the work of the Commission at international level. New standards introduced by delegated acts are defined in close cooperation with international working bodies such as UNECE and OECD dedicated working groups.




2.   The Commission proposal









2.1.


The Commission proposal upgrades to technical progress Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 by updating certain requirements and correcting certain editorial errors following feedback received by stakeholders and Member States in the first implementation period.












2.2.


More precisely, this act introduces clarifications to two definitions of tractor categories and corrects certain terms important for the uniform application of the Regulation without possible interpretations as well as the references to a repealed legislative act.












2.3.


Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 empowers the Commission to lay down the detailed technical requirements, test procedures and limit values, where applicable, in four delegated acts on (i) occupational safety (vehicle construction requirements); (ii) functional safety; (iii) braking; and (iv) environmental and propulsion performance. This power has already expired on 21 March 2018.












2.4.


The current proposal extends the power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts for 5 more years and sets out its tacit renewal, unless the Council or the European Parliament expressly object to it.




3.   General comments









3.1.


The EESC welcomes this proposal for a Regulation amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 167/2013. It responds to the concerns raised by stakeholders and Member States and by upgrading certain requirements and correcting a number of editorial errors it improves the applicability and the clarity of the legal text. This is obviously beneficial for all parties involved.












3.2.


On which concerns the extension for five more years of the power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts, the EESC agrees in principle with the proposal and is pleased that, as it had always called for, the Commission has considered it appropriate to extend the delegation for a fixed period, with the possibility of renewal, as long as there are no objections raised by the Council and the Parliament (2).





Brussels, 19 September 2018.


The President of the European Economic and Social Committee

Luca JAHIER




(1)  OJ L 60, 2.3.2013, p. 1; OJ C 54, 19.2.2011, p. 42.

(2)  OJ C 345, 13.10.2017, p. 67.