CELEX: 51981PC0733
Language: en
Date: 1981-12-01
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING 17 DIRECTIVES ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO WHEELED AGRICULTURAL OR FORESTRY TRACTORS (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

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COM (81) 733
Vol. 1981/0211
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 ---pagebreak---   COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                      COM(81)733 final.
                                            Brussels , 1st December 1981
h
                            PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
              AMENDING 17 DIRECTIVES ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF
                   THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO WHEELED AGRICULTURAL
                                 OR FORESTRY TRACTORS
                    \
                       \
                 ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
                    s 'f
   COM ( 81 ) 733 final .
 ---pagebreak---                                                             G^H3
                         EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
I„  SIGNIFICANCE AND CONTENT OF THE PROPOSAL
1.1 Background
    Framework Directive 74 / 150 / EEC relating to the EEC type-approval of
    wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors , and the 19 separate direc­
    tives concerning certain parts or characteristics of these tractors
    which have so far been adopted and are necessary for the implementation
    of   the EEC type-approval procedure , apply to tractors having a maximum
    design speed of between 6 and 25 km / h .
    At the time of the examination of the abovementioned framework Directive
    in the Council , the United Kingdom was concerned that a large number
    of tractors manufactured in the UK had a maximum design speed in excess
    of 25 km / h and therefore fell outside the scope of the Directive .,
    The United Kingdom was , however , able to approve the Directive as pro­
    posed , on condition that the question of faster tractors would be exa­
    mined in the Working Party on Agricultural Tractors and Machinery with
    a view to establishing their eligibility for the EEC type-approval pro­
    cedure .
1.2 Technical problems
    The resultant discussions centred on the problem of whether the provisions
    laid down in respect of tractors with a maximum speed of 25 km / h could be
    applied to tractors with a higher maximum speed without contravening the
    road safety requirements .
    Some experts thought that " fast " tractors should be subject to more
    stringent requirements , at least as regards certain parts or characte­
    ristics such as the brakes and the lighting and light-signalling devices .
    Discussions have recently centred on a British proposal - supported by
    the manufacturers' organization CEMA ( European Committee of Associations
                                                                          o a e / ese
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 2 -
    of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery ) - which seeks to increase
    the maximum design speed from 25 to 33 km / h 0 The British experts and the
    manuf acturers believe that this increase would not impair " safety " if
    the requirements adopted in respect of tractors having a specified maxi­
    mum speed of 25 km / h were applied to tractors capable of 33 km / h . The
    experts of certain other delegations have expressed doubts on * this
    point . Nevertheless ,, a compromise proposal put forward by the Commission ,
    seeking to increase the maximum design speed from 25 to 30 km / h , was
    favourably received by the great majority of experts .
    This suggestion forms the basis for the present proposal for a directive .
1.3 Economic aspects
    This proposal is intended to enable a greater number of tractors to bene­
    fit from the Community type-approval procedure , since it is certain that ,
    as a result of developments which have taken place in the last ten years ,
    agricultural tractors have become larger , faster and safer , are manufac­
    tured and used in most of the Member States and offer undeniable advan­
    tages from the point of view of their efficiency in agricultural holdings .
    Some of grounds that justify such a proposal are set out belows :
    - agricultural tractors which cannot exceed 25 km / h fall within a cate­
      gory of equipment that accounts for a declining proportion of the
      world market in agricultural tractors : more than 50 % of the agricul­
      tural tractors at present produced in Europe are capable of exceeding
      25 km / h ;
 ---pagebreak---                                              - 3 -
              The following table ( source : EUROSTAT , 21.9.1981 ) provides an indica­
              tion of the EEC 's trade in 1980 :
                                                                     UNIT   : 1000 ECUS
  »
  I                                              AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS
  I
  1
         PERIOD                            IMPORTS                             EXPORTS
!                                                                                 EXTERNAL ( EUR-9 )
                           INTRA ( EUR-9 )    EXTERNAL ( EUR-9 ) INTRA ( EUR-9 )
i
j January/ December             606.367           223.592 .       * 708.149         1.566.400
t          1980
1
          - an increase in maximum design speed can only produce advantages as
             regards the competitiveness of European entreprises and for Europe 's
             economy as a whole-By contrast with the prevailing situation / substan­
             tial savings would result from the production of a single gearbox for
             the Community market and for exports to third countries . Moreover ,
             since the increased vehicle speed would be attained at the same engine
             speed , a not inconsiderable fuel saving would be achieved in the course
             of a year .
          - in view of the numerous on-road trips performed by agricultural vehicle
             trains , it seems advisable to adopt a higher speed , both to make it
             easier for such vehicle trains to join traffic streams and to reduce
             the length of time they spend in traffic .
    1.4      Conclusion
             It is therefore proposed that framework Directive 74 / 150 / EEC and 16
             of the 19 separate directives adopted to date be amended by replacing
             the figure of 25 km / h by 30 km / h wherever necessary .
    II .     CONSULTATION OF PARLIAMENT AND THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
             In accordance with the second paragraph of Article 100 of the Treaty ,
             the opinion of these two bodies must be obtained .
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 1 -
  PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING 17 DIRECTIVES ON THE APPROXIMATION OF
 THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO WHEELED AGRICULTURAL OR FORESTRY TRACTORS
 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and
 in particular Article 100 thereof .
                                                     1
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
                                                           2
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament ,
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee^,
Whereas Article 1 of Council Directive 74 / 150 / EEC of 4 March 1974 on the appro­
ximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of whee-
                                           4        .....      . .             5
 led agricultural or forestry tractors , as amended by Directive 79 / 694 / EEC ,
 limits the scope of the said Directive to tractors equipped with pneumatic
tyres and having two axles and a maximum design speed of between 6 and 25 km / h ;
Whereas the same Directive provides that , where necessary , tractors with a
maximum design speed in excess of 25 km / h shall be subject to special require­
ments ; whereas such tractors form part of the tractor fleet manufactured and
used in the Community and offer advantages as regards the efficiency of agri­
cultural holdings ;
Whereas an increase of 20% of the maximum design speed which has hitherto been
prescribed is reasonable considering road safety and safety of working condi­
tions on the land ,
                                                                         aoD/c
    ι β β ο ο ο ο α ι
2
    aeenaacaei
3
   OJ     No L        28o3=1974 , p. 10 ,
   OJ No L 205 , 13c8„1979 , p. 17 .
 ---pagebreak---                                               - 2 -
   Whereas Member States may , nevertheless , restrict the speed at which a tractor
  may be driven on the road by imposing speed limits ;
  Whereas , moreover , tractors having more than two axles can be treated in the
  same way as those having two axles only , and can therefore be made subject to
  the same provisions ;
  Whereas it is therefore not necessary to lay down the specific rules envisa­
  ged by the framework Directive 74 / 150 / EEC , and whereas it is sufficient that
  the field of application of that Directive be extended, together with that of the
  specific directives containing an express definition fo their field of application
  in relation to tractors with more than two axles and a maximum design speed
  of between 25 and 30 km / h ,
  HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE
                                           Article 1
  1 . Article 1(2 ) of Directives 74 / 150/ EEC , 74 / 151 / EEC , 74 / 152 / EEC * 74 / 346/ EEC ?
      74/347/ EEci 75 /321 / EEC^ 75 /322 / EEC ? 75 /323/ EEC? 76/432 / EEC ? 76/763/EEC?
      77/311 / EEC1 °77 /537 / EEJJ 78/933 / EE^ 79/532 /EE^ 79/533 /EE (!4and Article 9(2 )
      of Directive 78/764 / EEC ^ ire ' replaced by the following :
      '2 . This Directive shall apply only to tractors defined in paragraph 1
           which are equipoed with pneumatic tyres and have at least two
           axles and a maximum design speed of between 6 and 30 km / ho "
    0J No L 84 , 28.3.1974 , p. 25 .
  *0J  No  L 84, 28.3.1974 , p. 33 .
  30J  No  L 191 , 15.7.1974, p. 1 .
  40J  No  L 191 , 15.7.1974, p. 5 .
  50J  No  L 147, 9.6.1975 , p. 24 .
  60J  No  L 147, 9.6.1975 , p. 28 .
  70J  No  L 147, 9.6.1975 , P. 38 .
  80J  No  L 122,   8.5.1976, p. 1 .
  90J  No  L 262,   17.9.1976, p. 135 .
1 °0J  No  L 105 ,  28.4.1977, p. 1 .
11 0J  No  L 220,   29.8.1977, p. 38.
120J   No  L 325,   20.11.1978, p. 16
130J   No  L 145 ,  13.6.1979, p. 16
U0J    No  L 145,   13.6.1979, p. 20
150J   No  L 255 ,  18.9.1978, p. 1
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 3 -
                                          ___1
2 . Article 1(2 ) of Directive 80 / 720 / EEC is replaced by the following :
    " 2 . This Directive shall apply only to tractors defined in paragraph 1
          which are equipped with pneumatic tyres and have at least two aalss , a
          maximum design speed of between 6 and 30 km / h and a minimum fixed or
          variable track wi.dth of 1^150 mm on one of the drive axles ="
3 = Item 1=5 of the Annex to Directive 74 / 152 / EEC is  replaced by the
    following 5
    " 1=5 In order to take account of various inherent errors due , in particular ,
           to the measuring technique and to the higher engine speed when opera­
           ting at partial load , a result 10 % above the 30 km / h value shall be
           acceptable for the purpose of the type-approval test ."
                                      Article 2
1 . Member States shall bring into force the provisions necessary       to
    comply with this Directive within 18 months of its notification and shall
    forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
2 . As soon as this Directive has been notified , Member States shall also ensure
    that the Commission is informed , in sufficient time for it to submit its
    comments , of any draft laws , regulations or administrative provisions which
    they intend to adopt in the field covered by this Directive .
                                      Article 3
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
   0J No L 194 , 28.7.1980 , p. 1