On 19 April, the European Parliament rubber stamped reforms for the vehicle type approval process. The deal has been hashed out over a two-year period following the emissions scandal and, if properly implemented, will help ensure that vehicles tested in the laboratory better resemble cars on the road.

Greater market surveillance and additional oversight by the European Commission will act as new checks in the system. Vehicle test results should be more realistic and deliver real world benefits for citizens. The revised type approval process fails to end the direct financial link between testers and vehicle manufacturers, but additional transparency will be granted.

FIA Region I Director General, Laurianne Krid, said: “European consumers have been let down by the system that was meant to deliver cars that performed as promised in the real world. The new rules should increase checks of vehicles already on the market, thus helping to restore consumer trust and confidence. While type approval can never give a fully accurate picture of the performance on the roads, the previous system needed a significant overhaul to perform properly. We do hope that the Commission and Member States will take these requirements to heart, especially given the fact that no concrete national funding mechanism is included in the legislation adopted today. In any case, mobility Clubs will continue to test vehicles and publicise their results, in order to ensure consumers are properly informed.”

She added: “The new rules also touch on the connected car and make it clear that third party service providers should not be barred from accessing vitally important vehicle data. However, this is just the start of a process to get the automotive sector up to speed with the digital economy. We now need to see the Commission come forward with a dedicated legislative proposal to ensure cyber security, data protection and fair competition with accessing vehicle data.”

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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[at]fia.com
+32 2 282 0813