Approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles

PURPOSE: to amend and correct Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: type-approval requirements applying to agricultural and forestry vehicles are set out in Directive 2003/37/EC and its implementing Directives, which have been repealed with effect from 1 January 2016 and replaced by Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 and its four delegated acts and one implementing act.

The Commission wishes to upgrade to technical progress Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 by updating certain requirements and correcting certain editorial errors following feedback received by stakeholders and Member States in the first implementation period.

More precisely, it is necessary to introduce clarifications to two definitions of tractor categories and corrects certain terms important for the uniform application of the Regulation without possible interpretations.

Moreover, there is a continuous need to update elements of these delegated acts to technical progress. However, Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 limited the Commission’s powers to adopt delegated acts for a period of five years, which will expire on 21 March 2018.

CONTENT: the proposal to amend Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 aims to:

• clarify the descriptions of T1 and T2 category vehicles regarding the position of the axle closest to the driver for tractors with reversible driving position and regarding the method of calculating the height of the centre of gravity. In order to accurately and uniformly establish the height of the centre of gravity for T2 category vehicles, reference should be made to internationally applicable standards which determine the centre of gravity of a tractor;
• extend the power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts for 5 more years and sets out its tacit renewal, unless the Council or the European Parliament expressly object to it. The Commission has already received requests from stakeholders and Member States to extend this power.