Council Decision of 25 September 2008 approving on behalf of the Community Annex 8 to the International Convention on the Harmonisation of Frontier Controls of Goods (2009/161/EC)

INTERNATIONAL VEHICLE WEIGHT CERTIFICATE U.K.

1. The objective of the International Vehicle Weight Certificate (IVWC) is to facilitate border crossing procedures and, in particular, to avoid repetitive weight measurements of goods road vehicles en route in the Contracting Parties. Duly filled-in certificates, accepted by the Contracting Parties, shall be accepted as bearing valid weight measurements by the competent authorities of Contracting Parties. Competent authorities shall refrain from requiring additional weight measurements apart from random checks and controls in the case of supposed irregularities. U.K.

2. The International Vehicle Weight Certificate, which shall conform to the model reproduced below in this Appendix, shall be issued and used under the supervision of a designated Governmental authority in each Contracting Party accepting such certificates in line with the procedure described in the annexed certificate. U.K.

3. The use of the certificate by transport operators is optional. U.K.

4. The Contracting Parties, accepting such certificates, shall approve authorised weighing stations to fill in, together with the operator/driver of the goods road vehicle, the International Vehicle Weight Certificate in accordance with the following minimum requirements: U.K.

(a)

Weighing stations shall be equipped with certified weighing instruments. For performing the weight measurements, the Contracting Parties accepting such certificates may select the method and instruments they consider appropriate. The Contracting Party accepting such certificates shall ensure the competence of the weighing stations by, for example, an accreditation or assessment process and shall ensure to use of appropriate weighing instruments, the deployment of qualified personnel, and the existence of properly documented quality control systems and testing procedures.

(b)

The weighing stations and their instruments shall be well maintained. The instruments shall be regularly verified and sealed by the relevant authorities responsible for weights and measures. The weighing instruments, their maximum permissible errors and usage shall comply with the Recommendations established by the International Organisation for Legal Metrology (OIML).

(c)

Weighing stations shall be equipped with weighing instruments corresponding to either:

• OIML Recommendation R 76 ‘Non-automatic weighing instruments’ accuracy Class III or better,

• OIML Recommendation R 134 ‘Automatic instruments for weighing road vehicles in motion’, accuracy Classes 2, or better, higher error values may apply in case of individual axle weight measurements.

5. In exceptional cases and, particularly when irregularities are suspected, or at the demand of the transport operator/driver of the respective road vehicle, the competent authorities may re-weigh the vehicle. In case a weighing station produces several mistaken measurements, observed by the control authorities in a Contracting Party accepting such certificates, the competent authorities of the country of the weighing station shall take appropriate measures in order to ensure that such events will not occur again. U.K.

6. The model of the certificate may be reproduced in any of the languages of the Contracting Parties accepting such certificates provided that the layout of the certificate and the placing of the items therein are not modified. U.K.

7. Each Contracting Party accepting such certificates, shall publish a list of all weighing stations in their countries authorised in accordance with international principles as well as any modifications thereto. This list as well as any modification thereto shall be transmitted to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE) for distribution to each Contracting Party and to the international organisations referred to in Annex 7, Article 2 to this Convention. U.K.

8. (Transitional provision) Since only very few weighing stations are equipped at present with weighing instruments able to provide individual axle weight or axle group measurements, the Contracting Parties, accepting such certificates agree that, during a transitional period, expiring 12 months following the entry into force of this Annex, gross vehicle weight measurements as provided for under item 7.3 in the International Vehicle Weight Certificate shall be sufficient and shall be accepted by the competent national authorities. U.K.