On 7 December, the EU Trilogue negotiations on reforming the vehicle type approval process ended with a positive agreement between Member States, the Parliament and the Commission. If properly implemented, it will help to make cars cleaner and ensure that vehicles tested in the laboratory better resemble the cars that end up on the road.
FIA Region I welcomes the proposals for more market surveillance and the additional oversight that will be provided by the European Commission. If implemented properly, these measures will act as additional checks in the system and should mean that vehicle test results are more realistic and deliver real world benefits for citizens. It is essential that Member States also have the resources to carry out more robust checks on vehicles so that motorists can rely on the performance information they are given.
FIA Region I is disappointed that the proposal does not cut the ties in the financial relationships between testers and vehicle manufacturers, but it is encouraging to note that the system should become much more transparent.
FIA Region I Director General, Laurianne Krid, said: “Improving the vehicle type approval process is essential to avoid another dieselgate and to restore consumer confidence in the vehicles that they drive. Although today’s compromise is not perfect, we support stronger market surveillance requirements which should help steer car makers to achieve emissions targets in the real world and not just in the laboratory.”
She added: ‘With more and more cars becoming connected, the Commission and Member States now have to look at how independent operators, like our members, can be assured that they will get full and fair access to vehicle information. This is essential so that independent operators cannot only test cars properly but also provide key services to motorists both now and in the future”
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Notes to Editors
About FIA Region I
The FIA Region I office, based in Brussels, is a consumer body representing 107 Mobility Clubs and their 38 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind, the FIA Region I work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. www.fiaregion1.com
Contact:
Andrea Campbell
Head of Communications, FIA Region I
acampbell@fia.com
+32 2 282 0813