COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 19/2011
of 11 January 2011
concerning type-approval requirements for the manufacturer’s statutory plate and for the vehicle identification number of motor vehicles and their trailers and implementing Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor (1), and in particular Article 14(1)(a) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 is a separate Regulation for the purposes of type-approval provided for in Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 September 2007 establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles (Framework Directive) (2).
(2)
Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 repeals Council Directive 76/114/EEC of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trailers, and their location and method of attachment (3). The requirements set out in that Directive should be carried over to this Regulation and where necessary, amended in order to adapt them to the development of scientific knowledge.
(3)
Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 lays down fundamental provisions on requirements for type-approval of vehicles with regard to vehicle identification methods. Therefore, it is necessary to also set out the specific procedures, tests and requirements for such type-approval.
(4)
In the absence of harmonised legislation on the maximum permissible laden mass or maximum permissible masses for axles or axle groups of heavy duty vehicles, Directive 97/27/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 1997 relating to the masses and dimensions of certain categories of motor vehicles and their trailers and amending Directive 70/156/EEC (4) provides for the determination of registration/in-service maximum permissible masses to be determined for the purposes of registration, of the entry into service or of the use of heavy duty vehicles in the territory of a Member State. It is therefore appropriate to include the registration/in-service maximum permissible masses in the model of the manufacturer’s statutory plate. For road safety reasons, it is also appropriate to include the maximum permissible mass on an axle group.
(5)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Technical Committee Motor Vehicles,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Scope
This Regulation applies to complete and incomplete vehicles of categories M, N and O.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation,
(1)
‘manufacturer’s statutory plate’ means a plate or label, affixed by the manufacturer on a vehicle that provide the main technical characteristics which are necessary for the identification of the vehicle and provides the competent authorities with the relevant information concerning the permissible maximum laden masses;
(2)
‘vehicle identification number’ (VIN) means the alphanumeric code assigned to a vehicle by the manufacturer in order to ensure proper identification of every vehicle;
(3)
‘vehicle type’ means a set of vehicles as defined in Annex II, Part B to Directive 2007/46/EC.
Article 3
Provisions for EC type-approval of a type of vehicle with regard to the manufacturer’s statutory plate and the vehicle identification number
1. The manufacturer or his representative shall submit to the type-approval authority the application for EC type-approval of a type of vehicle as regard the lay-out and the location of the manufacturer’s statutory plate and the composition and the location of the vehicle identification number.
2. The application shall be drawn up in accordance with the model information document set out in Part A of Annex III.
3. If deemed necessary by the approval authority or the technical service, the manufacturer shall make available a vehicle representative of the type to be approved for the purposes of inspection.
4. If the relevant requirements set out in Annex I and Annex II to this Regulation are met, the approval authority shall grant a type-approval in accordance with the numbering system set out in Annex VII to Directive 2007/46/EC.
A Member State may not assign the same number to another vehicle type.
5. For the purpose of paragraph 4, the type-approval authority shall deliver an EC type-approval certificate established in accordance with the model set out in Part B of Annex III.
Article 4
Validity and extension of EC type-approvals granted under Directive 76/114/EEC
National authorities shall permit the sale and entry into service of vehicles type-approved before the date referred to in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 and shall continue to grant extension to approvals granted under the terms of Directive 76/114/EEC.
Article 5
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 February 2011.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 11 January 2011.