EU Regulation No. 167/2013, which repeals and replaces EC Directive 2003/37/EC, applies to agricultural and forestry tractors, and to trailers and interchangeable towed equipment intended to be towed by such vehicles. As was the case under EC Directive 2003/37/EC, European whole vehicle type approval is only mandatory for tractors of categories T1, T2 and T3. However, this new Regulation allows for the voluntary European whole vehicle type approval for all of the other categories of vehicle included within its scope.
EU Regulation No. 168/2013, which repeals and replaces EC Directive 2002/24/EC, applies to all two and three wheeled motor vehicles, i.e. mopeds, motorcycles, motorcycles with side cars and motor tricycles, and also to quadricycles, i.e. quad bikes, buggies and micro cars. This new Regulation introduces some significant changes to the vehicle category definitions and introduces a number of new vehicle sub-categories, thereby allowing its requirements to be specifically targeted at, and aplied to, particular types of vehicle.
The majority of the changes introduced by both of these new Regulations are intended to bring them more into line with the latest automotive type approval "framework" requirements, and can be summarised as follows:
- The layout, structure and main requirements of each Regulation have been aligned with those of 2007/46/EC, the automotive type approval "framework" Directive.
- New requirements on access to repair and maintenance information have been added, which are based on the requirements of EC Regulation No. 715/2007 on light duty emissions and EC Regulation No. 595/2009 on heavy duty emissions.
- Following the principles introduced by EC Regulation No. 661/2009, the General Safety Regulation, all of the separate Directives called up by both of the existing "framework" Directives will be repealed and replaced by references to the corresponding United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulations and, in the case of the new "framework" Regulation for agricultural tractors, with references to other standards, such as those issued by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
- Also following the principles introduced by EC Regulation No. 661/2009, a number of new "delegated" Regulations will be created which contain the more detailed technical requirements and specify the precise UN ECE Regulations and other standards that must be complied with. In the case of agricultural tractors, there will be four "delegated" Regulations; one on vehicle functional safety requirements, one on vehicle construction requirements, one on environmental and propulsion performance requirements and one on vehicle braking requirements. In the case of motorcycles, there will be three "delegated" Regulations; one on environmental and propulsion performance requirements, one on vehicle functional safety requirements and one on vehicle construction and general type approval requirements. Initial work on the drafting of these new "delegated" Regulations has already begun within the European Commission.
The two existing "framework" Directives and all of the "separate" Directives referenced within them will be repealed on 1st January 2016. From that same date, type approval to the requirements of these new "framework" Regulations will become mandatory for new types of vehicle.