ECWVTA info for BIVA for anyone interested

[Johnty Lyons]

GUIDANCE TO ECWVTA TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ON THE INTERNET

 

The following is an aide-memoire for anyone who wishes to look up the current EC technical directives on which the ECWVTA and IVA schemes are founded. The various steps appear complicated but are in fact reasonably logical.

 

The first step is to locate the Eur-Lex website. This is the Net Portal for the European Commission, and can be found at

 

http://europa.eu/index.htm

 

This is the main gateway. To save time, you can go straight to the legislative search page, which is at

 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm

 

Click on Simple Search on the left hand side, which will take you to the simple search page. Again, on the left you’ll find Search by Document Number. There are two options here, which are of use to us.

 

The first, and most important, is “Consolidated Text”, which will allow you to search for an updated and accurate version of a regulation or directive. This is important because Directives are amended regularly, maybe twice a year in some instances. The amendments are always included in the consolidated text, so you may be certain of getting the most up to date version.

 

Some smaller Directives are not yet available as consolidated texts, and these can be found through the “Natural Number” search. This will produce the Directive as it was originally made, without any amendments.

 

The first Directive to search for is 2007/46, which is the Regulatory Framework Directive (RFD) for ECWVTA. Use the Natural Number search, because the RFD is new and hasn’t yet been amended. You’ll get two results: one is about import licences for Manioc starch but the other should be the RFD. Click on the pdf icon and the Directive will open.

 

Scroll down to Annex IV – should be on page 82. In Part 1 you’ll find a table which sets out all the technical directives which apply to vehicles seeking ECWVTA. These technical Directives contain the actual technical requirements for each of the subjects listed in the second column. In the third column is the Regulatory Act Reference, which is the Directive number you’ll need to in order to perform a search.

 

So let’s suppose you want to see the directives relating to door latches and hinges. This is item 6 in the table. The Directive number is 70/387/EEC. That is, number 387 of 1970. So all you have to do is go back to the search page, choose either consolidated text or natural number, and search for that Directive.

 

Newer Directives are provided in either .pdf or html format. After a few months the .pdf is removed from the site, and can only then be purchased on-line. Older Directives are only available in html format.

 

(NB: Some Directives are suffixed EC whilst others are EEC: this is just a historical thing, arising from when the European Community used to be called the European Economic Community. ) *wavey*

 

 

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jj

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