Due to the workings of the EU they essentially bring a piece of legislation into law and then ask if there is anything wrong with it. As part of the Whole Vehicle Approval that will come into effect in April 2009 a member State is allowed a system of BIVA (Basic Individual Vehicle Assessment) .
Because of our motoring heritage we are one of the few member States to whom this would apply and hence a draft BIVA has been put together. This is currently the SVA rewritten with only a few ‘tweaks’. Bear in mind that car modifying is virtually nonexistent, in the form that we have, across the bulk of Europe. This draft will shortly be up for consultation via the DfT before onward transmission to the EU for their agreement. Do not believe that this BIVA document is how it will definitely turn out, it is only a draft proposal, the EU may well not allow it through unchanged. Any changes would make it harder to comply but some would stop home and low volume building at a stroke.
We will be having input into the consultation and if anything in the draft BIVA is of specific concern please let us know and, where appropriate, we will put those concerns forward. Don’t forget that this is a rewrite, almost, of existing legislation.
ACE now have a copy of the proposed BIVA regulations, bear in mind that the items shown in this document are the EXCLUSIONS necessary from Whole Vehicle Approval to allow the home builder / low volume manufacture to continue. If this doesn’t go through then we would have to comply with the relevant section of Whole Vehicle Approval (links to sections available below).
BIVA draft document :-
Technical Requirements Document 1 v2 (M1-N1 bIVA) (21/02/08 PDF - 390KB)
More info relative to IVA :-
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles (PDF - 350KB)
List of EC Directives relating to motor vehicles which will show the regulations required to be met if IVA is not approved in its current form.
EC Directives Applying to Motor Vehicles
Whole Vehicle Approval information here :-
Status of Directive (PDF - 971KB)
European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (PDF - 387KB)
Frequently Asked Questions - ECWVTA