Technical harmonisation for motor vehicles
Technical harmonisation for motor vehicles, implemented at Community level pursuant to Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), is based on the Community's WVTA (whole vehicle type-approval) system.
Under this system, manufacturers can obtain certification for a vehicle type in one Member State if it meets the harmonised technical requirements and then market it EU-wide with no need for further tests.
Total technical harmonisation has already been achieved in different vehicle categories (passenger cars, motorcycles, agricultural and forestry tractors, utility vehicles, coaches, moped and motorcycle trailers) and will soon be extended to other vehicle categories (other types of tractors and trailers).
It is essential that European car manufacturers be ensured access to as large a market as possible. While the Community type-approval system allows manufacturers to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the internal market, worldwide technical harmonisation in the context of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) offers them a market which extends beyond European borders.
- FRAMEWORK FOR THE TECHNICAL HARMONISATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
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TECHNICAL HARMONISATION IN THE INTERNAL MARKET
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Motor Vehicles and Trailers
- EC type-approval system for motor vehicles
- General safety of motor vehicles
- Emissions from heavy duty vehicles (Euro VI): certification rules
- Windscreen defrosting and demisting systems for motor vehicles
- Rear registration plates on motor vehicles
- Motor vehicle towing devices
- Windscreen wiper and washer systems of motor vehicles
- Motor vehicle wheel guards
- Manufacturer’s statutory plate and identification number for motor vehicles
- Spray-suppression systems for motor vehicles
- Installation of tyres
- Tyre labelling
- Engine power of motor vehicles and trailers (up until 2013)
- Motor vehicles and their trailers: steering equipment (until 2014)
- Braking devices of certain motor vehicles (until 2014)
- Direction indicator lamps for motor vehicles with trailers (until 2014)
- Parking lamps on motor vehicles (until 2014)
- Front fog lamps on motor vehicles (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: rear fog lamps (until 2014)
- Headlamps which function as main-beam and/or dipped-beam headlamps for motor vehicles (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: liquid fuel tanks and rear underrun protection devices
- Motor vehicles with trailers: tyres (until 2017)
- Technical standards: tyre pressure gauges for motor vehicles (until December 2015)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: spray-suppression devices (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: heating systems for the passenger compartment (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: interior fittings (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: cabs of commercial vehicles (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: fire behaviour of the materials used in the internal fittings of buses and coaches (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: safety glass and glazing materials
- Motor vehicles with trailers: mechanical coupling devices (until 2014)
- Motor vehicles with trailers: masses and dimensions of cars (until 2014)
- Road safety: dimensions and maximum weights authorised for both national and international journeys
- The reusing, recycling and recovering of motor vehicles
- Reduction of pollutant emissions from light vehicles
- Emissions from diesel and gas engines (up until 2013)
- Emissions from air conditioning systems in motor vehicles
- Motor vehicles with trailers: permissible sound level
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Two or three-wheeled motorised vehicles
- Two or three-wheeled motor vehicles: EC type-approval system
- Two or three-wheeled motor vehicles: components and characteristics
- Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: maximum design speed
- Lighting and light-signalling for two or three-wheel motor vehicles
- Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: audible warning device
- Controls, tell-tales and indicators for two or three-wheel motor vehicles
- Rear registration plates of two or three-wheel motor vehicles
- Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: braking devices
- Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: maximum dimensions, masses and loads
- Statutory markings for two- or three-wheel motor vehicles
- Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: anti-theft devices
- Stands for two-wheel vehicles
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Agricultural and forestry tractors
- Agricultural or forestry tractors: EC type-approval procedure
- Parts and characteristics of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
- Lighting and light-signalling on agricultural and forestry tractors and machines
- Driver-perceived noise level of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
- Roll-over protection structures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
- The coupling device and the reverse of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
- Tractors and agricultural or forestry machinery: braking
- Tractors and agricultural or forestry machinery: driver's seat
- Tractors and agricultural or forestry machinery: passenger seats
- Tractors and agricultural or forestry machinery: front-mounted protection structures
- Tractors and agricultural or forestry machinery: rear-mounted protective devices
- Pollutant gases of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
- Hydrogen-powered motor vehicles
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Motor Vehicles and Trailers