Legal provisions of COM(1998)489 - Availability of consumer information on fuel economy in respect of the marketing of new passenger cars

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dossier COM(1998)489 - Availability of consumer information on fuel economy in respect of the marketing of new passenger cars.
document COM(1998)489 EN
date December 13, 1999


Contents

Article 1

The purpose of this Directive is to ensure that information relating to the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of new passenger cars offered for sale or lease in the Community is made available to consumers in order to enable consumers to make an informed choice.

Article 2

For the purposes of this Directive:

1. 'passenger car' means any motor vehicle of category M1, as defined in Annex II to Directive 70/156/EEC(6) and which falls under the scope of Directive 80/1268/EEC. It does not include vehicles falling under the scope of Directive 92/61/EEC(7) and special purpose vehicles as defined in the second indent of Article 4(1)(a) of Directive 70/156/EEC;

2. 'new passenger car' means any passenger car which has not previously been sold to a person who bought it for a purpose other than that of selling or supplying it;

3. 'certificate of conformity' means the certificate referred to in Article 6 of Directive 70/156/EEC;

4. 'point of sale' means a location, such as a car showroom or forecourt, where new passenger cars are displayed or offered for sale or lease to potential customers. Trade fairs where new passenger cars are presented to the public are included in this definition;

5. 'official fuel consumption' means the fuel consumption type-approved by the approval authority in accordance with the provisions of Directive 80/1268/EEC and mentioned in Annex VIII of Directive 70/156/EEC and attached to the EC vehicle type-approval certificate or in the certificate of conformity. Where several variants and/or versions are grouped under one model, the value to be given for fuel consumption of that model shall be based on the variant and/or version with the highest official fuel consumption within that group;

6. 'official specific emissions of CO2' for a given passenger car means those measured in accordance with the provisions of Directive 80/1268/EEC and mentioned in Annex VIII of Directive 70/156/EEC and attached to the EC vehicle type-approval certificate or in the certificate of conformity. Where several variants and/or versions are grouped under one model, the values to be given for CO2 of that model shall be based on the variant and/or version with the highest official CO2 emissions within that group;

7. 'fuel economy label' means a label which contains consumer information regarding the official fuel consumption and the official specific emissions of CO2 of the car to which the label is attached;

8. 'fuel economy guide' means a compilation of the official fuel consumption data and official specific emissions of CO2 for each motel available on the new car market;

9. 'promotional literature' means all printed matter used in the marketing, advertising and promotion of vehicles to the general public. It includes, as a minimum, technical manuals, brochures, advertisements in newspapers, magazines and trade press and posters;

10. 'make' means the trade name of the manufacturer and is that which appears on the certificate of conformity and the type-approval documentation;

11. 'model' means the commercial description of the make, type, and, if available and appropriate, variant and version of a passenger car;

12. 'type', 'variant' and 'version' mean the differentiated vehicles of a given make that are declared by the manufacturer, as described in Annex II.B to Directive 70/156/EEC, and uniquely identified by type, variant and version alphanumeric characters.

Article 3

The Member States shall ensure that a label on fuel economy and CO2 emissions, which is in accordance with the requirements described in Annex I, is attached to or displayed, in a clearly visible manner, near each new passenger car model at the point of sale.

Article 4

Without prejudice to the establishment by the Commission of an Internet guide at Community level, the Member States shall ensure that a guide on fuel economy and CO2 emissions is produced in consultation with manufacturers on at least an annual basis in accordance with the requirements of Annex II. The guide shall be portable, compact and available free of charge to consumers upon request both at the point of sale and also from a designated body within each Member State.

The authority or authorities referred to in Article 8 may cooperate in the preparation of the guide.

Article 5

The Member States shall ensure that, for each make of car, a poster (or alternatively, a display) is exhibited with a list of the official fuel consumption data and the official specific CO2 emissions data of all new passenger car models displayed or offered for sale or lease at or through that point of sale. This data shall be displayed in a prominent position and in accordance with the format in Annex III.

Article 6

The Member States shall ensure that all promotional literature contains the official fuel consumption and the official specific CO2 emission data of the passenger car models to which it refers in accordance with the requirements of Annex IV.

Member States shall, as appropriate, provide for promotional material other than the promotional literature referred to above to indicate the official CO2 emission data and the official fuel consumption data of the specific car model to which it refers.

Article 7

The Member States shall ensure that the presence on labels, guides, posters or promotional literature and material referred to in Articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 of other marks, symbols or inscriptions relating to fuel consumption or CO2 emissions which do not comply with the requirements of this Directive is prohibited, if their display might cause confusion to potential consumers of new passenger cars.

Article 8

The Member States shall notify the Commission of the competent authority or authorities responsible for the implementation and functioning of the consumer information scheme described in this Directive.

Article 9

Any amendments which are necessary in order to adapt the Annexes to this Directive shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 10 and following consultation with consumer organisations and other interested parties.

In order to assist this adaptation process, each Member State shall transmit to the Commission, by 31 December 2003, a report on the effectiveness of the provisions of this Directive, covering the period from 18 January 2001 until 31 December 2002. The format of this report shall be established in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 10 not later than 18 January 2001.

Furthermore, the Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10, take measures aiming at:

(a) further specifying the format of the label referred to in Article 3 by amending Annex I;

(b) further specifying the requirements concerning the guide referred to in Article 4 with a view to classifying new car models thus enabling a listing of the models according to CO2 emissions and fuel consumption in specified classes including a class for a listing of the most fuel efficient new car models;

(c) establishing recommendations in order to enable the application of the principles of the provisions on promotional literature referred to in the first paragraph of Article 6 to other media and material.

Article 10 - Committee

The Commission shall be assisted by a committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission.

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on that draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 205 of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner laid down in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.

The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee.

If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.

If, on the expiry of a period of three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission.

Article 11

Member States shall determine the penalties applicable to breaches of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive. The penalties shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

Article 12

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 18 January 2001. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt these provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference at the time of their official publication. The procedure for such reference shall be adopted by Member States.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 13

This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Article 14

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.