New motor vehicles must meet the same technical requirements throughout the European Union. This helps ensure a high level of road safety and environmental protection, and makes the EU’s automotive industry more competitive.

WHAT DOES THE REGULATION DO?

It sets out the technical requirements and the procedures to ensure that new motor vehicles meet EU safety and energy efficiency standards.

KEY POINTS

Through the Regulation, the EU conforms to a number of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations on technical specifications for motor vehicles. A vehicle type-approved under these UNECE regulations is considered to meet the Commission’s type-approval standards.

Regulation 2015/166, which supplemented and amended the original regulation, sets out detailed rules on the specific procedures, technical requirements and tests for type-approval. It also covers components and separate technical units for motor vehicles.

Manufacturers must guarantee that new vehicles sold, registered or put into service in the EU are type-approved in accordance with this regulation.

To improve road safety, all vehicles must be equipped with an electronic stability control system. Vehicles in categories M2, M3, N2 and N3 must be equipped with an advanced emergency braking system and a lane departure warning system. This will apply to all new lorries and buses from 1 November 2015.

In addition, vehicles in category M1 must be equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system, seat belt reminder and gear shift indicators, among many other more detailed specifications for all vehicle categories.

Commission type-approval or national type-approval is granted only to vehicles meeting the requirements laid down in this regulation.

BACKGROUND

KEYWORDS

* Type-approval: shows a vehicle type has been tested to make sure it meets the relevant regulatory, technical and safety requirements.

ACT

Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor

REFERENCES

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Regulation (EC) No 661/2009	20.8.2009	–	OJ L 200, 31.7.2009, pp. 1–24
Corrigendum	–	–	OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 27

Amending act(s)	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Regulation (EU) No 407/2011	1.5.2011	–	OJ L 108, 28.4.2011, pp. 13–20
Regulation (EU) No 523/2012	11.7.2012	–	OJ L 160, 21.6.2012, pp. 8–12
Regulation (EU) 2015/166	24.2.2015	–	OJ L 28, 4.2.2015, pp. 3–39

The successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED ACTS

Commission Regulation (EU) No 19/2011 of 11 January 2011 concerning type-approval requirements for the manufacturer’s statutory plate and for the vehicle identification number of motor vehicles and their trailers and implementing Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor (OJ L 8, 12.1.2011, pp. 1–13)

Safe motor vehicles and trailers

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