The EU is at it again

[T0nup]

With the regulation of the European Parliament and of the council on periodic roadworthiness tests on motor vihicles and their trailers and repealing directive 2009/40/EC

Quite a mouthful isn't it?

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/doc/roadworthiness-p...

Her it is in full, and while it does in places look and read very much like the Turin Charter that FIVA is trying to push, this probably poses an even greater threat to the classic car movement EU wide, not just here. It seeks to have vehicles tested to type aproval standards, which if you don't whow what that means, then you have no business modifying your motor. Do not confuse this with the recent MOT changes that have taken place.

MODs - Just wondering why there isn't a forum heading specifically for items or legislation and directives from the the UK gov and the EU. I know not everyone will be interested, but anyone who modifies or improves their vehicles should at least have a place to go to discuss items like this... Or am I just blind?

[Scuffers]

unbelievable isn't it?

At a stroke, this would shut down 100's of UK companies, and put another X thousands out of work.

Love to know what Vince Cable and co think of this and if they really understand what it's effects would be?

[VinceFox]

Can you highlight the main areas of concern? Ive just had an admittedly very quick skim read but nothings jumping out at me.

[irocfan]

Scuffers said:

unbelievable isn't it?

At a stroke, this would shut down 100's of UK companies, and put another X thousands out of work.

Love to know what Vince Cable and co think of this and if they really understand what it's effects would be?

well seeing as legend in his own mind cable and his bunch of twunts are car haters in the red ken league I rather suspect it'l be their new holy grail... wkers

[mikey77]

Does this mean the British Government's hare-brained scheme to stop testing pre-1960 vehicles is now out of the window then?
In France, motorcycles are not tested regularly and there are now regulations reducing the regular testing of 'collectors' vehicles' - will that be out of the window too?
Will there be standardised tests across the EU?

[mike9009]

mikey77 said:

Will there be standardised tests across the EU?

Yes there will be standardisation, standard as in the UK will follow the new guidelines to the letter and the rest of the EU will choose if they feel like it.

HTH

Mike

[Cunning Punt]

VinceFox said:

Can you highlight the main areas of concern? Ive just had an admittedly very quick skim read but nothings jumping out at me.

First, it's still a proposal, so details may change yet.

Second, "vehicles of historic interest" (which are defined as 30 years old and unmodified, i.e parts as close as possible to original fitment) are exempt. So the government's plan to stop testing pre-60 vehicles can still be applied, but on the plus side this should see rolling classic/tax-exempt status reintroduced, and no longer stuck in 1973 (or has that been changed already?).

Armed forces/emergency services vehicles exempt.
Argicultural vehicles with top speed under 25mph exempt.

Motorcyles not exempt.
Tractors/quads capable of over 25mph not exempt.


Here's the gist of it:

• Member states are all over the place with their test intervals, so: normalise intervals across EU - first test at 4 years old, second test at 6 years old, yearly test thereafter (or if the mileage was already over 100k at first test). No great change for the UK, but the French are going to hate this.
• Mileages to be recorded in national database to combat clocking. Good.
• Test centre equipment and calibration to be standardised across the union
• Standardised training certifications for testers. Impartiality standards for testers.
• Testing centres need government authorisation to perform tests.
• Tests can be required by authority (e.g. DVLA) following accidents, spec modifications, or change of ownership.
• Test results to be provided to keeper by certificate. A copy is forwarded to authorities (e.g. DVLA)
• Test deficiencies to be classed by minor faults (no retest)/major faults (retest within 6 weeks)/unroadworthy (vehicle registration withdrawn until faults corrected)
• Member states to provide national contact point for exchanging vehicle information (for import/export)
• Commission able to amend regulation to take into account type approval changes on e.g pollution rules. I think this means, in a nutshell, that the proposal thinks older cars should be allowed dispensations depending on year of manufacture and the rules extant at the time.
• Recommendation that the commission study the implications of Euro-wide vehicle database.

But this is the killer:

• Manufacturers to supply technical specifications to test centres to allow them to perform standardised tests.

I don't know what's going to happen to the hundreds of thousands of cars out there with remaps/decats/engine swaps/turbos/auto-manual conversions etc, but it doesn't bode well.

[Engineer1]

Isn't one thing though that the EU rules are absolute minimums if you want to go 1st test at 3yrs, then a test every year you can hell if you want a test every 6 months you can, the EU rules just provide a bare minimum.

[Cunning Punt]

Engineer1 said:

Isn't one thing though that the EU rules are absolute minimums if you want to go 1st test at 3yrs, then a test every year you can hell if you want a test every 6 months you can, the EU rules just provide a bare minimum.

That's more or less what directive 2009/40/EC said; this proposal aims to repeal it precisely because with the rules set as minimums there was no standardisation between member states.
Not good for a free market.

[T0nup]

First off, if these 'proposals' go through as is, there would be no opt out for the UK. They are a directive, and as such every member state, inclusive of the UK would have to adhere.

Second, someone asked what would happen to vehicles with remaps, engine swaps, body modifications and the hundreds of other large and small changes that some like to make to their vehicles that would fall foul of this... It's avery good question, but don't bet on an amnesty for already reworked vehicles, and don't even think about the FBHVC or FIVA standing up for your interets.

That's my bet anyhow.

[T0nup]

Oh, and for those with more modern modified metal... It don't look good for you at all.

[Some Gump]

First test at 4 ? Most fails are are year 3 from twunts that think that a new car first needs attention when the warranty runs out. By year 6, evey chineese made stbox (they arecoming in) will be all over the shop.

Anyways, i wouldn't panic about remaps. The manufacterers pec will be as wide as posible in order to avoid problems with modern 5 year warranties. Meanwhile, a local "known" garage that you treat well will still pass you the mot. Gid knows my okd man hasn't rn a cat on some very overfuelled cars for years - none of which would pass current mot.....

[Lordbenny]

I'm pretty sure this will a lot of us 'off the hook'

Vehicles of historic interest are supposed to conserve heritage of the époque they
have been built and considered to be hardly used on public roads, it should be left to
Member States to extend the period of periodic roadworthiness testing for such
vehicles. It should also be for Member States to regulate roadworthiness testing of
other types of specialised vehicles.

[T0nup]

Someone mentioned that this document was just a 'proposal'

It says that on the jacket... What it doesn't say is that the this document combines 6 other proposals that have already gone through a consultation period on a EU only website. Alone, each proposal would have been bad enough, mainly concerned with roadworthyness testing, but they have been brough together to form the back ground on this.

Read some where that the deadline for the likes of the DfT and other interested parties to lodge objections is 5 Sept, but I can't confirm...

Though, for my money, it's likely most of the parties that should be interested in this know bugger all of it's existance. They've either had their heads burried in the sand or are relying on the likes of the FBHVC to do the work for them.

[T0nup]

If you own a modified vehicles, or plan to, or work in an industry that relies on vehicle customisation, then you need to read this.

If you don't think that giving every car over 30 years old exemption from an MOT is a good idea, then you too need to read this.

http://www.the-ace.org.uk/armageddon/