A press release from the IMCO Committee dealing with the Type Approval issue says that a final text has been provisionally agreed between the council and MEP’s. The final text goes to a vote in November.
The press release highlights a few key points, but MAG Ireland has not yet seen the final text, so we’ll be coming back to this in the near future. In the meantime, this is what we know:
MEPs close deal with Council on safer, greener motorbikes
Free movement of goods – 28-09-2012 – 11:09
Committee : Internal Market and Consumer Protection
New rules to make motorbikes safer and greener were provisionally agreed by MEPs and Council negotiators on Friday. They cover about 30 million vehicles, including mopeds, scooters, motorbikes, all-terrain vehicles and quads.
“I am happy with the agreement reached today with the Council. Of course safe motor cycling is largely the responsibility of the driver, but I think there is still some result to be gained with the technical aspects of the vehicle”, said Parliament’s rapporteur Wim van de Camp (EPP, NL), after intensive informal talks between Parliament’s negotiators and Cyprus Presidency.
The new regulation lays down approval and market surveillance rules for all L-category vehicles in the EU, i.e. about 30 million mopeds, scooters, motorbikes, all-terrain vehicles and quads.
 
As these vehicles account for 16% of accident deaths on Europe’s roads, even though they make up only 2% of road traffic, MEPs inserted more stringent safety requirements for them, as well as tougher emission targets.
Safer
MEPs agreed that under the new rules, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) would have to be fitted to all “bigger” motorbikes (i.e. those over 125 cc), while ABS or combined brake systems (CBS) could be fitted to smaller ones (under 125 cc), including scooters.
“In addition we have ensured that after 4 years the Commission should present a cost-effectiveness analysis, with recommendations as to whether the rules should be revised. We also introduced new measures to prevent tampering of powertrains to make vehicles go faster”, explained Wim van de Camp.
Greener
As L-category vehicles emit disproportionally high levels of pollutants, MEPs successfully proposed to bring them down by extending the Euro 3 standards to mopeds from 1 January 2016.
“For heavy motorcycles, the more stringent Euro 4 standards would apply from 2016 and Euro 5 limits from 2020. Again the Commission will have to carry out a comprehensive environmental impact study by 1 January 2016 to evaluate the air quality and share of pollutants emitted by L-category vehicles”, added Wim van de Camp.
Next steps
The provisionally agreed text still needs to be formally endorsed by Council and Parliament. The deal will be put to an Internal Market Committee vote at the next meeting in October and then a plenary one in November.
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MAG Ireland will be reporting the outcomes in more detail when we’ve had a chance to study the adopted text and it’s implications for Irish riders. The delegated acts are still a work in progress and may take another 12 months or more to finalise, so this process is by no means over. More information when we have it.
