Motor vehicles: heating systems for the passenger compartment (amend. direct. 70/156/EEC, repeal. direct. 78/548/EEC)

In general terms, the common position essentially corresponds to the Commission's amended proposal. The text of the common position takes account of most of the amendments made by the European Parliament which the Commission incorporated into its amended proposal. The Council has also introduced some editorial amendments which do not change the contents of the European Parliament's amendments. All these amendments to the amended proposal have been accepted by the Commission. The Council has accepted various European Parliament amendments which clarify the technical provisions of the proposal. The common position also stipulates that within one year the Commission shall examine the safety of LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) fuelled systems and if appropriate present a proposal to the "Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress" referred to in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC. In relation to an amendment which asks the Commission, before 1 October 2001, to draw up proposals for tests of the efficiency of heating systems, the Council has not incorporated this amendment, in the belief that such proposals lie within the Commission's right of initiative. As regards the amendment concerning determining where the notice indicating that the heater must be shut down before refuelling should be affixed, the Council believes that this amendment would reduce the level of safety. Thus, to increase safety, the Council prefers wording which stipulates that the warning notice must be affixed to the fuelling point. Lastly, the Council was not able to incorporate the amendment which relates in particular to the conditions under which a combustion heater could be fitted to the passenger compartment of M2 and M3 vehicles.�