PURPOSE: to apply, on behalf of the European Union, Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: at international level, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) develops harmonised requirements, intended to remove technical barriers to the trade in motor vehicles between the Contracting Parties to the Revised 1958 Agreement and to ensure that such vehicles offer a high level of health, safety and environmental protection.

Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise (‘UNECE Regulation No 41’) was recently brought up to the same level of environmental protection as obtained through Union type-approval legislation, which now allows the Union to start applying this UNECE Regulation. The objective of that Regulation is to establish equivalent provisions for sound control of motorcycles and clarifications to the stationary noise measurement test of such vehicles.

At EU level, Annex I to Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles, referring to Chapter 9 of Annex I to Directive 97/24/EC on certain components and characteristics of two or threewheel motor vehicles, mandates the type approval for two and three-wheel motor vehicles, according to measurement procedures and limit values for sound levels as laid down in Annex I.

Now that Revision 4 of UNECE Regulation No 41 has been established, it is appropriate for the Union to apply the said Regulation in order to have common harmonised requirements at international level, which will facilitate international trade and which will replace the existing approval requirements.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the application of UNECE Regulation No 41 does not lead to a revision of noise emission limits and/or thresholds, as currently set out in Directive 97/24/EC. Furthermore, the testing methods set out in UNECE Regulation No 41 are equivalent in scope and scientific approach to the ones provided for in Directive 97/24/EC. Therefore, the proposed application process is not expected to have societal, environmental and economic impact for the European Union or the EEA due to the overall equivalence of both the testing methods for noise emissions proposed ,as well as the noise emission limits and thresholds involved.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 114(1) and 207(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposal will enable the Union to apply UNECE Regulation No 41 on noise emissions from motorcycles and replace the EU regional testing requirements with world-harmonised test procedures and requirements.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implication for the Union budget.

PURPOSE: to apply, on behalf of the European Union, Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: at international level, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) develops harmonised requirements, intended to remove technical barriers to the trade in motor vehicles between the Contracting Parties to the Revised 1958 Agreement and to ensure that such vehicles offer a high level of health, safety and environmental protection.

Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise (‘UNECE Regulation No 41’) was recently brought up to the same level of environmental protection as obtained through Union type-approval legislation, which now allows the Union to start applying this UNECE Regulation. The objective of that Regulation is to establish equivalent provisions for sound control of motorcycles and clarifications to the stationary noise measurement test of such vehicles.

At EU level, Annex I to Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles, referring to Chapter 9 of Annex I to Directive 97/24/EC on certain components and characteristics of two or threewheel motor vehicles, mandates the type approval for two and three-wheel motor vehicles, according to measurement procedures and limit values for sound levels as laid down in Annex I.

Now that Revision 4 of UNECE Regulation No 41 has been established, it is appropriate for the Union to apply the said Regulation in order to have common harmonised requirements at international level, which will facilitate international trade and which will replace the existing approval requirements.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the application of UNECE Regulation No 41 does not lead to a revision of noise emission limits and/or thresholds, as currently set out in Directive 97/24/EC. Furthermore, the testing methods set out in UNECE Regulation No 41 are equivalent in scope and scientific approach to the ones provided for in Directive 97/24/EC. Therefore, the proposed application process is not expected to have societal, environmental and economic impact for the European Union or the EEA due to the overall equivalence of both the testing methods for noise emissions proposed ,as well as the noise emission limits and thresholds involved.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 114(1) and 207(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposal will enable the Union to apply UNECE Regulation No 41 on noise emissions from motorcycles and replace the EU regional testing requirements with world-harmonised test procedures and requirements.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implication for the Union budget.

PURPOSE: to apply, on behalf of the European Union, Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: at international level, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) develops harmonised requirements, intended to remove technical barriers to the trade in motor vehicles between the Contracting Parties to the Revised 1958 Agreement and to ensure that such vehicles offer a high level of health, safety and environmental protection.

Regulation No 41 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor cycles with regard to noise (‘UNECE Regulation No 41’) was recently brought up to the same level of environmental protection as obtained through Union type-approval legislation, which now allows the Union to start applying this UNECE Regulation. The objective of that Regulation is to establish equivalent provisions for sound control of motorcycles and clarifications to the stationary noise measurement test of such vehicles.

At EU level, Annex I to Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles, referring to Chapter 9 of Annex I to Directive 97/24/EC on certain components and characteristics of two or threewheel motor vehicles, mandates the type approval for two and three-wheel motor vehicles, according to measurement procedures and limit values for sound levels as laid down in Annex I.

Now that Revision 4 of UNECE Regulation No 41 has been established, it is appropriate for the Union to apply the said Regulation in order to have common harmonised requirements at international level, which will facilitate international trade and which will replace the existing approval requirements.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the application of UNECE Regulation No 41 does not lead to a revision of noise emission limits and/or thresholds, as currently set out in Directive 97/24/EC. Furthermore, the testing methods set out in UNECE Regulation No 41 are equivalent in scope and scientific approach to the ones provided for in Directive 97/24/EC. Therefore, the proposed application process is not expected to have societal, environmental and economic impact for the European Union or the EEA due to the overall equivalence of both the testing methods for noise emissions proposed ,as well as the noise emission limits and thresholds involved.

LEGAL BASIS: Articles 114(1) and 207(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposal will enable the Union to apply UNECE Regulation No 41 on noise emissions from motorcycles and replace the EU regional testing requirements with world-harmonised test procedures and requirements.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the proposal has no implication for the Union budget.