S.I. No. 34/1991:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (ROAD TRAFFIC) (VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL) REGULATIONS, 1991.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (ROAD TRAFFIC) (VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL) REGULATIONS, 1991.

The Minister for the Environment in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) hereby makes the following Regulations:--

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Road Traffic) (Vehicle Type Appproval) Regulations, 1991.

2. In these Regulations--

"mechanically propelled vehicle" shall have the meaning assigned to it by Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961);

"semi-trailer" means the drawn component of an articulated vehicle, other than an articulated bus, or a vehicle constructed or adapted for use as such drawn component;

"trailer" means a vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle (or to another vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle) or a vehicle constructed or adapted for the purpose of being drawn by a mechanically propelled vehicle.

3. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of March, 1991.

4. The provisions of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1990, the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 to 1989, the Road Traffic (Control of Supply of Vehicles) Regulations, 1991 and the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, 1982 to 1990, insofar as they relate to the use or supply of a mechanically propelled vehicle, a semi-trailer or trailer with respect to the design, construction, fitting, mounting or performance standards of a component of such a vehicle, or of such vehicle as a whole, shall not apply where--

( a ) the vehicle component or vehicle, as appropriate, bears a type approval mark in accordance with the European Community Type Approval Directive or Directives relating to such vehicle component or vehicle, or

( b ) the vehicle component or vehicle fulfils the performance standards of the European Community Type Approval Directive or Directives relating to such vehicle component or vehicle, and, in the case of a vehicle component, the vehicle component is mounted and fitted in accordance with the requirements of the European Community Type Approval Directive or Directives relating to such component.

5. The European Communities (Vehicle Type Approval) Regulations, 1980 ( S.I. No. 41 of 1980 ) are hereby revoked.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment

this 25th day of February, 1991.

PÁDRAIG FLYNN,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provided that a motor vehicle, semi-trailer or trailer (or component of any such vehicle) which complies with the provisions of the relevant European Economic Community Type Approval Directive shall, in effect, be deemed to comply with road traffic regulations on the construction, equipment and lighting of vehicles.

These Regulations replace the European Communities (Vehicle Type Approval) Regulations, 1980 ( S.I. No. 41 of 1980 ).