COMMUNITY MEASURE : Commission Directive 2003/27/EC on adapting to technical progress Council Directive 96/96/EC as regards the testing of exhaust emissions from motor vehicles.
CONTENT : Directive 96/96/EC specifies the tests to be carried out at periodic inspections to check that emissions from both petrol and diesel driven vehicles are still within acceptable
limits.
A working group of experts from the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA), and from other relevant organisations was established by the Commission and met during year 2000. The group examined the options for amending the limits for the emission tests prescribed in Directive 96/96/EC and in Directive 2000/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 June 2000 on the technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Community to determine whether improved environmental benefits could be realised. The Group concluded that the currently prescribed limits are invariably well above what the vehicle is capable of achieving in practice, provided that it is properly maintained: the current limits are therefore not as effective as they could be in facilitating the detection of gross emitters, i.e. vehicles whose exhaust emissions are at least
50 % more than would be expected from a properly maintained vehicle.
This Commission Directive aims to amend Annex II to Directive 96/96/EC.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 28 April 2003.
TRANSPOSITION : 1 January 2004.�