The Tractor etc (EC Type-Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2008

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Tractor etc (EC Type-Approval) Regulations 2005 (the “principal Regulations”). The principal Regulations transposed Directive 2003/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on type-approval of agricultural or forestry tractors, their trailers and interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units and repealing Directive 74/150/EEC (OJ No L171, 9.7.2003, p. 1). They did this by providing for a system to type approve tractors (and certain other types of vehicle) (“tractor type approval”). In making the amendments these Regulations transpose, in relation to tractor type approval, Council Directive 2006/96/EC of 20 November 2006 adapting certain Directives in the field of free movement of goods, by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania (OJ No L363, 20.12.2006, p. 81). 2006/96/EC amends a number of directives to reflect that Bulgaria and Romania are now Member States.

These Regulations also transpose Directive 2008/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the field of vision and windscreen wipers for wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ No L24, 29.1.2008, p. 30). 2008/2/EC codifies Council Directive 74/347/EEC of 25 June 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the field of vision and windscreen wipers for wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ No L191, 15.7.1974, p. 5) as last amended by Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 1997 amending, as regards the maximum design speed of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors, Council Directives 74/150/EEC, 74/151/EEC, 74/152/EEC, 74/346/EEC, 74/347/EEC, 75/321/EEC, 75/322/EEC, 76/432/EEC, 76/763/EEC, 77/311/EEC, 77/537/EEC, 78/764/EEC, 78/933/EEC, 79/532/EEC, 79/533/EEC, 80/720/EEC, 86/297/EEC, 86/415/EEC and 89/173/EEC (OJ No L277, 10.10.1997, p. 24). 74/347/EEC is one of the directives listed in Annex II, Chapter B of the Tractor Type Approval Directive.

Regulation 2 amends the definitions of “separate directive” and “the Tractor Type Approval Directive”. The consequence of the amendment to the definition of “separate directive” is that a reference to that phrase in the principal Regulations is to a directive listed in Annex II, Chapter B of the Tractor Type Approval Directive, or, if appropriate, to the codified version of the directive, as amended at the date of the making of these Regulations. The consequence of the amendment to the definition of “the Tractor Type Approval Directive” is that a reference to that phrase in the principal Regulations is to 2003/37/EC as amended at the date of the making of these Regulations.

An Impact Assessment has not been produced as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.

A transposition note has been prepared for these Regulations. The note is available on the Department for Transport website, www.dft.gov.uk. The note is also attached to the explanatory memorandum for these Regulations which is available on the OPSI website, www.opsi.gov.uk.