2.—(1) The Road Traffic Act 1988(1) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 55 (type approval certificates)(2)—
(a)after subsection (1), insert—
“(1A) Where the Secretary of State is satisfied on application made to the Secretary of State by the manufacturer of a vehicle of a class to which relevant regulations apply—
(a)that the manufacturer holds in respect of that vehicle a valid relevant European approval, and
(b)that adequate arrangements have been made to secure that other vehicles purporting to conform with that vehicle in the relevant aspects of design, construction, equipment and marking will so conform in all respects or with such variations as may be permitted,
the Secretary of State may approve that vehicle as a type vehicle.
(1B) An application made by a manufacturer to the Secretary of State before subsection (1A) comes into force, which would have been an application under subsection (1A) if it had been made after subsection (1A) came into force, is to be treated as an application under subsection (1A).
(1C) For the purposes of subsection (1A)—
“relevant European approval” means—
an EC type-approval certificate, as defined in Article 3(34) of the road vehicles type approval Directive,
an EU type-approval certificate, as defined in Article 3(32) of the tractor type approval Regulation, or
an EU type-approval certificate, as defined in Article 3(5) of the motorcycle type approval Regulation,
whether issued before exit day or, in accordance with that legislation as it has effect in EU law, on or after exit day;
“relevant regulations” means—
regulations made under section 54 of this Act, or
regulations made under section 2(2) of, or paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to, the European Communities Act 1972 in relation to the regulation of the type, description, construction or equipment of vehicles, or of components of vehicles, or in relation to any vehicle type-approval scheme.”;
(b)in subsection (2), after “relevant type approval requirements”, insert “or (as the case may be) the relevant European type approval requirements”;
(c)after subsection (2), insert—
“(2A) If the type approval certificate is issued following approval under subsection (1A), the certificate is to remain in force for a period of two years beginning with the day of issue (unless cancelled or suspended under section 56).”;
(d)for subsection (4), substitute—
“(4) Subject to subsection (6) below, a type approval certificate may be issued for a type vehicle where the Secretary of State is satisfied that—
(a)one or more, but not all, of the relevant type approval requirements, or
(b)one or more, but not all, of the relevant European type approval requirements,
are complied with in the case of that vehicle.”;
(e)after subsection (8), insert—
“(9) In this section, “European type approval requirements” means requirements prescribed in—
(a)regulations made under section 2(2) of, or paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to, the European Communities Act 1972 in relation to the regulation of the type, description, construction or equipment of vehicles, or of components of vehicles, or in relation to any vehicle type-approval scheme,
(b)the tractor type approval Regulation, or
(c)the motorcycle type approval Regulation.”.
(3) In section 57 (certificates of conformity)(3)—
(a)after subsection (1), insert—
“(1ZA) If a manufacturer has a type approval certificate issued by the Secretary of State following approval under section 55(1A), a relevant European certificate of conformity issued by the manufacturer in respect of each vehicle that conforms to the type vehicle in question is to be treated as a certificate issued under subsection (1).
(1ZB) In subsection (1ZA) “relevant European certificate of conformity” means—
(a)a certificate of conformity issued before exit day by a manufacturer under any provision of the law of a member State other than the United Kingdom giving effect to Article 18 of the road vehicles type approval Directive,
(b)a certificate of conformity issued before exit day under Article 33 of the tractor type approval Regulation, or
(c)a certificate of conformity issued before exit day under Article 38 of the motorcycle type approval Regulation, or
(d)a certificate of conformity issued on or after exit day under that law, Article 33 or Article 38 as it has effect at that time.”;
(b)in subsection (1A), after “85 of this Act”, insert “and except in the expression “relevant European certificate of conformity” and in the definition of that expression in subsection (1ZB)”.
(4) In section 58 (Minister’s approval certificates)—
(a)in subsection (1)(a), after “relevant type approval requirements”, insert “or (as the case may be) the relevant European type approval requirements”;
(b)for subsection (3), substitute—
“(3) Where by virtue of section 57(4) of this Act a certificate of conformity issued in respect of a vehicle relates to—
(a)one or more, but not all, of the relevant type approval requirements, or
(b)one or more, but not all, of the relevant European type approval requirements,
the Secretary of State may issue in respect of that vehicle a Minister’s approval certificate relating to one or more of the other relevant type approval requirements or (as the case may be) one or more of the other relevant European type approval requirements.”;
(c)after subsection (7), insert—
“(8) In this section, “European type approval requirements” has the same meaning as in section 55.”.
(5) In section 85 (interpretation of Part 2), in subsection (1), in the definition of “EC certificate of conformity”(4)—
(a)in paragraph (a)(iv), omit “other than the United Kingdom”;
(b)in paragraph (b), after “that Regulation”, insert “or under Article 38 of that Regulation as it has effect in EU law”;
(c)in paragraph (c), after “that Regulation”, insert “or under Article 33 of that Regulation as it has effect in EU law”;
(d)in paragraph (d)(ii), omit “other than the United Kingdom”.
Section 55 was amended by section 17(1)(a) of the Transport Act 1982 (c. 49).
Section 57 was amended by section 17(1)(a) of the Transport Act 1982 and S.I. 1992/3107.
The definition of EC certificate of conformity was inserted by S.I. 1992/3107, substituted by S.I. 2009/818 and amended by S.I. 2018/235 and 236.