Motor vehicles and trailers: liquid-fuel tanks, rear underrun protection (amend. direct. 70/221/EEC)

The Council's common position did not involve the introduction of any major changes to the Commission's initial proposal. The Council Took up 2 amendments adopted by the European parliament in its first reading: - the modification of the timetable for the implementation of the Directive (which will have to be re-established by the Council), - the reference to the definition of 'unladen mass', as it is defined in Annex 1 of Directive 70/156/EEC. The Council rejected the amendments that aimed to: - introduce requirements related to avoiding fuel spillage, - modify the comitology arrangements, - exclude the accessories of the tank from mechanical strength testing. New provisions introduced by the Council include: - the addition of a recital which invites the Commission to introduce provisions for fuel tanks as separate technical units in a future directive, - a new requirement regarding static electricity, - to Annex 1, the section on tests for plastic tanks would concern plastic tanks for all categories of vehicles and not only plastic tanks for category M1 (passenger cars) as in the original proposal.�