Strong support for EU harmonisation of road circulation requirements

According to the report, the EC received 74 answers from different stakeholders, including public authorities, companies and businesses associations. Out of which, more than 90% of respondents support an EU-wide initiative to harmonise the currently diverging national requirements for road circulation of mobile machinery.

During the month of January 2021, CECE members provided an answer to the EC public consultation, supporting this initiative and the so-called “Hybrid Approach” as the best policy option for this proposal. Which means that “for parts of the mobile machine that are more critical for road safety (e.g. braking, steering), the EU legal text includes all technical specifications; For parts of the mobile machine that are less critical for road safety (e.g. cabin heating, mirrors, wheel guards, registration plate), the EU legal text includes only the basic requirements, while the detailed technical specifications are described in harmonised standards.”

This has been a key focus of our advocacy for the past years. CECE members firmly believe in the need for an EU-wide initiative to harmonise the currently diverging national requirements for road circulation of mobile machinery. An EU-wide solution would bring lower costs for manufacturers and prices for users, a faster approval procedure for manufacturers and facility to use machines across intra-EU borders. Furthermore, the EU study on the cost and benefit analysis of the new legislation found a potential of 20% reduction in compliance costs, or €1 bln to €1.2 bln in a period of 10 years.

For more information on our answers to the public consultation, please send us a message.