Written question asked by Lord Berkeley (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Davies of Oldham (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 July 2006.

Vehicles: Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing

Question: What standards apply as regards electromagnetic compatibility testing for all safety systems in (a) road vehicles; and (b) rail vehicles; and which agency is responsible for creating and enforcing them.

Answer: Road vehicles registered in the UK must comply with the relevant European Commission directive on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). For volume produced passenger cars, this is Directive 95/54/EC. Cars produced in low volumes, and petrol engined trucks and large passenger vehicles, must comply with Directive 72/245/EC. Motorcycles should comply with Directive 97/24/EC. Diesel-powered trucks and large passenger vehicles are not currently subject to EMC requirements, pending the introduction of EC whole vehicle type approval for these vehicles. These directives are created at European Community level with input from experts from all member states. In the UK, electromagnetic compatibility is checked by the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency. A number of standards apply to electromagnetic compatibility testing on railways. For the national rail network, the standards are defined in Railway Group Standards and enforced by the HM Railway Inspectorate as part of its enforcement of operational safety cases. Railway equipment newly placed on the market is also certified to European harmonised standards under Directive 2004/108/EC. Enforcement of such standards remains with HM Railway Inspectorate, now part of the Office of Rail Regulation.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 6869; 684 c176-7WA
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: EU law Motor vehicles Standards Testing Trains Electromagnetic fields
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk