Fact Sheets on the European Union – 2 - EU Bookshop - Europa

which employs more than 2 million people and is the world
leader in this field. By the end of 2005 the group produced its
final report in which it has determined the regulatory
measures required over the next 10 years. Its objectives
include better lawmaking and simplification of the legislation
that exists.
In addition to the aim of making the industry more
competitive, the EU made an overview of priorities in road
safety (COM(2000) 125) and policies on pollutant emissions.
A. Internal market
Harmonisation of technical requirements on motor vehicles
has been achieved for three categories of vehicles: passenger
cars, motorcycles and tractors. In total, over 100 directives are
in place regulating the construction and functioning of motor
vehicles:
— motor vehicles: Directive 70/156/EEC on type-approval of
motor vehicles and their trailers, amended 19 times since
1970, lastly by Directive 2003/97/EC;
— motorcycles: Directive 2002/24/EC on type-approval of two
or three-wheeled motor vehicles and tractors;
— tractors: Directive 2003/37/EC on type-approval of
agricultural or forestry tractors, their trailers and attached
equipment entered into force in July 2003.
The EU whole vehicle type-approval (WVTA) system has been
mandatory for passenger cars and motorcycles since October
1998 and June 1999, respectively. As a result, the
manufacturers have only one set of rules to consider (the
relevant European type-approval directives) before marketing
their products anywhere in the EU.
Optional harmonisation has been achieved for tractors since
1990. For this category, manufacturers may choose between
applying the EU directives and obtaining a WVTA, or
requesting a national type-approval based on the technical
requirements of a Member State.
Partial harmonisation has been achieved for the remaining
vehicle categories, i.e. heavy goods vehicles. A directive has
been proposed to make the WVTA principle compulsory for
these types of vehicles in stages, from 2007 to 2013.
The principle of type-approval implies that each authority
granting an approval for a vehicle, a system, a component or a
technical unit is and remains solely responsible for ensuring
the conformity of production during the whole period of
validity of the approval.
In the field of vehicle safety, a number of directives have been
adopted, i.e. protection of motor vehicle occupants in the
event of a frontal and side impact (Directives 96/79/EC and
96/27/EC respectively), frontal under-run protection of heavy
goods vehicles (Directive 2000/40/EC), liquid-fuel tanks and
rear under-run protection of motor vehicles and their trailers
(Directive 2000/8/EC), and roadworthiness tests for motor
vehicles and their trailers (Directive 99/52/EC).
The Commission is concerned with the safety of pedestrians
and cyclists through the voluntary agreement signed with the
automobile industry. This system will eventually be
supplemented with a directive on the frontal protection of
vehicles. The text is currently being examined and Parliament
has completed its first reading.
B. Competition policy
In promoting industrial cooperation to assist small suppliers of
motor vehicle components, the Commission adopted
Regulation (EC) No 1475/95 on the application of the
competition rules of the Treaty to certain categories of motor
vehicle distribution and service agreements valid for a sevenyear
period. It provides an instrument to reduce price
differentials within the EU for cars, opening up the possibility
of parallel trade. The Commission periodically publishes
surveys of car price differentials between Member States.
C. Research and development policy
The car industry is a significant recipient of the EU funding set
aside for research and development under the sixth framework
programme (2002–06). In the seventh framework programme
(2007–13) the industry will also receive significant funding,
however, in a way to be able to respond to critical events and
challenges of future transportation systems, for example novel
transport and vehicle concepts, automation, mobility or
organisation.
D. External trade policy
The EU’s external trade policy is designed to protect its
automobile market and to improve its industry’s access to
third countries through trade policy measures.
The Council’s 1994 measures establishing the EU’s import
system and rules governing external trade defence
instruments gave the EU a set of rules that enables it to deal
with unfair trade practices more effectively than before.
In 1991 the EU concluded a trade agreement with Japan
aimed particularly at gradually opening the EU market to
Japanese cars and light commercial vehicles during a
transitional period ending on 31 March 1999 and precluding
market disruptions that such imports might cause. Both
Japanese and South Korean markets have been opened
further to European imports. During 1998, the Commission
continued to ensure correct application of the EU–Japan
arrangement for Japanese exports of cars and light
commercial vehicles.
Global technical harmonisation is a key factor in strengthening
the competitiveness of the European automotive industry
worldwide.
The EU and its Member States have always been at the
forefront of international harmonisation efforts by actively
supporting the work within the revised 1958 agreement of the
UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on
international technical harmonisation in the motor vehicle
sector. The EU became a contracting party to the agreement
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