Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Motor Vehicles (Type Approval) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1985 (“the 1985 Regulations”).

Regulation 4 of the 1985 Regulations is amended so that from 20th May 1996 the type approval requirements relating to noise emissions then in force shall apply to a vehicle regardless of the date of manufacture.

The type approval requirements relating to exhaust emissions are revised so as to—

(a) introduce the requirements of Directive 94/12/EC (O.J. No. L100, 19.4.94, p. 42) as a new alternative; and

(b) provide for the standard to become mandatory by removing the option of complying with Council Directive 93/59/EEC (O.J. No. L186, 28.7.93, p. 21) or ECE Regulation 83, as amended, from 20th May 1996 for new vehicle types and from 1st January 1997 for existing types.

The type approval requirements relating to noise are revised so as to provide for the requirements of Council Directive 92/97/EEC (O.J. No. L371, 19.12.92, p. 1) to become mandatory by removing the option of complying with Council Directives 84/424/EEC (O.J. No. L238, 6.9.84, p. 47), or ECE Regulation 51 as amended, from 20th May 1996 for new vehicle types and from 1st October 1996 for existing types.

A relaxation of the requirements of Council Directive 92/97/EEC with regard to exhaust systems containing fibrous materials is introduced as an option for low volume type approval vehicles.