PURPOSE : to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety by laying down technical requirements for the type-approval of motor vehicles as regards frontal protection systems.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive 2005/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the use of frontal protection systems on motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC.

CONTENT : T his Directive aims to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety through passive measures. It lays down technical requirements for the type-approval of motor vehicles as regards frontal protection systems supplied as original equipment fitted to vehicles or as separate technical units. The Council accepted all the amendments voted by the European Parliament at first reading.

Under the new rules, frontal protection systems for motor vehicles of class M1 (up to 8 persons) and N1 (goods up to 3,5 tonnes) must comply with testing requirements proving that are designed in a way that improves pedestrian safety and reduces the number of injuries.

The directive, which is part of the European road safety action programme, may be supplemented by national measures to prohibit or restrict the use of frontal protection systems already on the market before its entry into force.

Not later than 25 August 2010, in the light of technical progress and experience, the Commission shall review the technical provisions of the Directive and, in particular, the conditions for requiring the Upper Legform to Frontal Protection System test, the inclusion of an Adult Headform to Frontal Protection System test and the specification of a Child Headform to Frontal Protection System test. The results of this review will be the subject of a report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 15/12/2005 .

DATE OF TRANSPOSITION : 25/08/2006.

The European Parliament adopted a report drafted by Ewa HEDKVIST PETERSEN (PES, SE) setting out a series of compromise amendments agreed with the Council. These amendments specify more rigorous conditions for the frontal protection systems to pass the test. Tests require that frontal protection systems are designed in a way that improves pedestrian safety and reduces the number of injuries.

The Directive will be reviewed in the light of further research and experience gained during the first four years of its application. The Commission will review the technical provisions of the Directive and, in particular, the conditions for requiring the Upper Legform to Frontal Protection System "Bumper" test, the inclusion of an Adult Headform to Frontal Protection System test and the specification of a Child Headform to Frontal Protection System test.

This Directive does not affect the Member States' competence to ban or to restrict the use of those frontal protection systems which were placed on the market as separate technical units before the entry into force of this Directive.

The European Parliament adopted a report drafted by Ewa HEDKVIST PETERSEN (PES, SE) setting out a series of compromise amendments agreed with the Council. These amendments specify more rigorous conditions for the frontal protection systems to pass the test. Tests require that frontal protection systems are designed in a way that improves pedestrian safety and reduces the number of injuries.

The Directive will be reviewed in the light of further research and experience gained during the first four years of its application. The Commission will review the technical provisions of the Directive and, in particular, the conditions for requiring the Upper Legform to Frontal Protection System "Bumper" test, the inclusion of an Adult Headform to Frontal Protection System test and the specification of a Child Headform to Frontal Protection System test.

This Directive does not affect the Member States' competence to ban or to restrict the use of those frontal protection systems which were placed on the market as separate technical units before the entry into force of this Directive.

The committee adopted the report by Ewa HEDKVIST PETERSEN (PES, SE) broadly approving the proposal, subject to a number of amendments under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure. MEPs stressed that the directive was part of the European road safety action programme and was aimed at improving pedestrian and vehicle safety through passive measures.

The committee said that the Commission should add new provisions to Annex 1 for the rig testing of resilient frontal protection systems intended for sale as vehicle accessories in order to afford a standard of pedestrian protection equivalent to that provided by Directive 2003/102/EC.

MEPs also felt that, in such a rapidly-evolving field, legislation that was too far-reaching could become obsolete after some years. They therefore wanted to introduce a degree of flexibility with regard to the test requirements in Annex 1, so that new research results could be taken into account. They accordingly proposed slightly less stringent test requirements than those laid down by the Commission and also provided for the Commission to review the technical provisions of the directive, "in the light of technical progress and experience", no later than four years and nine months after it had been published. The Commission would have to report to Parliament and Council on the results of the review and adapt the directive where necessary.