Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/883 of 21 March 2024 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 as regards the second rear registration plate space for trailers and the mass of energy storage systems and correcting that Regulation

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers, and systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, as regards their general safety and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users, amending Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulations (EC) No 78/2009, (EC) No 79/2009 and (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 631/2009, (EU) No 406/2010, (EU) No 672/2010, (EU) No 1003/2010, (EU) No 1005/2010, (EU) No 1008/2010, (EU) No 1009/2010, (EU) No 19/2011, (EU) No 109/2011, (EU) No 458/2011, (EU) No 65/2012, (EU) No 130/2012, (EU) No 347/2012, (EU) No 351/2012, (EU) No 1230/2012 and (EU) 2015/166 (1), and in particular Articles 4(7) and 10(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 (2) provides rules concerning uniform procedures and technical specifications for the type-approval of vehicles, and of certain systems, components and separate technical units regarding their general safety. In that context, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 introduces a technical requirement for a second rear registration plate space for trailers. However, more time is needed for manufacturers to adjust to that new requirement with regard to the space for mounting and fixing of the second rear registration plates for vehicles of category O3 and O4. Therefore, the transitional provisions in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 need to be modified to ensure that those requirements will first apply to new vehicle types. In addition, vehicles of category O2 should be exempted from that requirement because of the design restrictions and the lack of space.

(2) It is appropriate to provide rules for the marking of the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the vehicle and for ensuring the traceability of the vehicle by means of the VIN.

(3) It is also appropriate to provide for certain flexibility in the positioning of the front registration plate in order to take into account possible technical and design constraints as regards sensors, radars and cameras to be installed in front of the vehicles for the safety systems provided under Regulation (EU) 2019/2144.

(4) It is necessary to complement the technical requirements for the windscreen washer systems to consider the cases where such systems incorporate a function to mitigate excessive pressures when the nozzles are blocked.

(5) It is also suitable to optimise the test procedures for the windscreen defrosting and demisting systems by providing more efficient sequence of the activities in the test chamber and flexibilities in the choice of the degreaser, while at the same time ensuring better health and working conditions for the persons performing the tests.

(6) It is necessary to provide rules for towing capability of stranded motor vehicles in order to ensure that they can be safely removed from the road when obstructing the road traffic. In addition, transitional provisions need to be provided to ensure that the new requirements as regards the towing capability will first apply to new vehicle types.

(7) The additional mass of the specific energy storage systems applied in zero-emission vehicles may cause the reference mass of such vehicles to be higher than that of similar conventional vehicles. The excess reference mass needs to be taken into account to allow zero-emission vehicles of category N that would otherwise fall outside the scope of Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) to be considered for the calculation of the average specific emissions of N1 vehicles for the manufacturers concerned from 1 January 2025. Therefore, a requirement should be established for the inclusion of a formal record of the mass of the energy storage system in the certificate of conformity, which is to be made available as part of the CO2 monitoring data.

(8) Following the date of application of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535, certain errors have been detected in the form of incorrect references.

(9) Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 should therefore be amended and corrected accordingly.

(10) In order to enable manufacturers and approval authorities of the Member States to make the necessary adaptations and to prepare for the application of the requirements concerning the mass of the energy storage systems of zero-emission vehicles, the date of application of the respective provisions of this Regulation should be deferred and aligned with the date set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/631.

(11) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Technical Committee – Motor Vehicles,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Amendments to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 is amended as follows:

(2) Annexes II, III, IV, VI, VII and XIII are amended in accordance with Annex I to this Regulation.

Article 2

Corrections to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 is corrected as follows:

(1) in Article 6, paragraphs 3 and 4 are replaced with the following: ‘3.   In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 6(5) of Regulation (EU) 2018/858, an EU type-approval may be granted for vehicles exceeding the maximum authorised dimensions set out in point 1.1 of Sections C, D and E of Part 2 of Annex XIII to this Regulation, in which case the remark “maximum authorised dimensions derogation” shall be included in point 52 of the type-approval certificate and the certificate of conformity.

(2) Annexes II, VIII, XIII and XIV are corrected in accordance with Annex II to this Regulation.

Article 3

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Annex I, point (6) shall apply from 1 January 2025.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 21 March 2024.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 325, 16.12.2019, p. 1.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535 of 31 March 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards uniform procedures and technical specifications for the type-approval of vehicles, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, as regards their general construction characteristics and safety (OJ L 117, 6.4.2021, p. 1).

(3) Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 443/2009 and (EU) No 510/2011 (OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 13).