Motor Vehicle Components and Separate Technical Units

Selected Vehicle Components Consultation

The RSA believes the current system for controlling the standard of components needs to be revised with a view to providing additional clarity on the specific requirements in legislation.  On the 23rd January a consultation was launched on selected vehicle components seeking views from interested stakeholders.  The RSA are proposing that all replacement brake linings, exhaust silencers and couplings placed on the market will have to be OE components or approved to either ECE or EC standards and be labelled accordingly which will include an ‘E’ or ‘e’ mark.  Further information can be obtained on our consultations page. The consultation closed on the 2nd of March 2012.

Components fitted to new vehicles

New motor vehicles and trailers which are manufactured for the EU market are required to be EC approved and must meet with the requirements of all of the applicable EC Directives and EC Regulations which are listed in Annex IV of the Recast Framework Directive 2007/46/EC.

Components and separate technical units fitted to new two or three wheeled motor vehicles including quads are required to meet with all of the separate EC Directives which are set out in  framework directive; 2002/24/EC.

Replacement Components

In order to be sold or fitted to a vehicle, certain components are required to be approved and marked to the requirements of EC Directives and EC Regulations. A list of the EC regulatory Acts which apply to motor vehicles and trailers can be found in Annex IV of the recast Framework Directive 2007/46/EC (as amended) and many of these prescribe the approval requirements that components must meet before they can be placed on sale or enter into service.

Examples of replacement components which require approval in order to be sold or fitted to certain vehicles include; tyres, exhaust silencers, catalytic convertors, glazing, safety belts, brake linings, coupling devices, lights and light bulbs.

Approval of Components

The motor vehicle regulatory acts  require the approval of various motor vehicle components and separate technical units to specified performance standards before being fitted to a vehicle.

In order to gain approval to the specified performance standards, manufacturers of components are required to :-

• have their devices tested by an independent body (technical service)
• meet certain requirements with regard to conformity of production

The NSAI is the Irish appointed approval authority and can issue approvals once the specified performance standards and conformity of production requirements have been met.

Legislation

Irish Legislation relating to components for motor vehicles

The Irish Statutory Instruments which regulate the sale and fitment of components and separate technical unties for motor vehicles, their trailers, and two or three wheeled motor vehicles including quads include the following;

Legal Instrument	Description
S.I. No. 157 of 2009 – the European Communities (Road Vehicles: Entry into Service) Regulations 2009	These Regulations give effect to Directive 2007/46/EC and to each of the separate directives and EC regulations that individually regulate many components, systems and separate technical units of relevant vehicles and their sale and entry into service.
S.I. No. 629 of 2007 – Road Traffic (Components and Separate Technical Units) (Two and Three Wheel Motor Vehicle) Regulations 2007.	These regulations require that a relevant component or separate technical unit placed on the market, sold or intended to be fitted on a two or three wheel motor vehicle must be approved, marked and fitted to the requirements of the separate Directives of type approval
S.I. No. 375 of 2007 – Road Traffic (Components and Separate Technical Units) Regulations 2007.	These regulations require that a relevant component or separate technical unit purchased or fitted to a vehicle or trailer must be approved, marked and fitted to the requirements of the separate Directives of type approval.
S.I. No. 118 of 2008 – the Road Traffic (Retreaded Tyres) Regulations 2008	These Regulations give effect to Council Decision 2006/443/EC and restrict the sale and supply of retreaded tyres to tyres that conform with UN-ECE Regulations 108 and 109 and bear the appropriate “E-Mark”.
S.I. No. 199 of 2004 — European Communities (General Product Safety) Regulations 2004	These Regulations give effect to Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety and require that consumer products placed on the market are safe and obliges producers to place only safe products on the market.