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(1) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after that notification, i.e. from 30 March 2019, unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.

(2) The withdrawal agreement as agreed between the negotiators contains arrangements allowing for the application of provisions of Union law to and in the United Kingdom beyond the date that the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom. If that agreement enters into force, the Union type-approval legislation will apply to and in the United Kingdom during the transition period in accordance with that agreement and will cease to apply at the end of that period.

(3) A comprehensive Union type-approval legislative framework was established by Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council , Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council , Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 of the European Parliament and of the Council .

(4) Those acts leave to manufacturers the choice of the type-approval authority from which to obtain a type-approval that allows them to place on the Union market vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units.

(5) The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union would, in the absence of any special provisions, have the effect that EC type-approvals and EU type-approvals previously granted by the type-approval authority of the United Kingdom (‘UK type-approval authority’), in accordance with regulatory acts of the Union, could no longer ensure access to the Union market. Such type-approvals are also held by manufacturers established within the Member States other than the United Kingdom. While vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units type-approved by the United Kingdom, in accordance with regulatory acts of the Union can be placed on the Union market until Union type-approval legislation ceases to apply to and in the United Kingdom, it is necessary to establish special provisions for the purposes of facilitating the placing on the Union market of those vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units after that date.

(6) Currently, the Union type-approval legislation does not provide for the possibility to re-approve types already approved elsewhere in the Union. However, manufacturers should be able to continue the production of vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units previously based on type-approvals granted by the UK type-approval authority, and to continue to place such vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units on the Union market. It is therefore necessary to allow manufacturers to obtain new type-approvals from type-approval authorities of Member States other than the United Kingdom.

(7) This Regulation should also ensure that manufacturers continue to have the greatest possible freedom to choose the new Union type-approval authority. In particular, that choice by the manufacturer should not be dependent on the consent of the UK type-approval authority or the existence of any arrangements between the UK type-approval authority and the new Union type-approval authority.

(8) In order to provide the necessary legal certainty for all stakeholders concerned and to ensure a level playing field for manufacturers, it is necessary to lay down, in a transparent manner, equal conditions applicable in all Member States.

(9) In order to enable the continued production and placing on the market of vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units, the requirements with which their types are to comply in order to be approved by the type-approval authority of a Member State other than the United Kingdom should be those applicable to the placing on the market of new vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units and not those applicable to new types.

(10) The requirements for new vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units are likewise applicable to manufacturers holding type-approvals granted by the Member States other than the United Kingdom. Setting the same requirements for the approval of types under this Regulation as for the placing on the market of new vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units thus aims to ensure equal treatment of manufacturers affected by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom and those holding type-approvals granted by Member States other than the United Kingdom.

(11) Nothing in this Regulation should prevent the vehicle manufacturer from applying on a voluntary basis for a Union approval of a vehicle type previously approved in the United Kingdom, on the basis of certain requirements applicable to new types of systems, components or separate technical units, where the type of vehicle remains otherwise identical to the one approved in the United Kingdom.

(12) Approvals sought for entirely new types of vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units should not fall within the scope of this Regulation.

(13) It should be possible for type-approvals granted on the basis of this Regulation to be based on test reports already presented for the purposes of obtaining the type-approvals in the United Kingdom, where the requirements that form the basis of such test reports have not changed. In order to allow for such continued use of test reports issued by the technical service notified by the United Kingdom, this Regulation should provide for an exemption from the requirement that such technical service must be designated by the authority granting the type-approval and notified by the Member State to the Commission. In order to also cover the time when Union type-approval legislation has ceased to apply to and in the United Kingdom, this Regulation should also provide for an exemption from the specific requirements concerning the designation and notification of technical services of third countries.

(14) At the same time, since Union type-approval authorities are to be fully responsible for the new Union type-approvals they grant, they should have the discretion to require new tests to be carried out for any element of the type-approval as they see fit.

(15) Insofar as this Regulation does not provide otherwise, the general rules on EC type-approval and EU type-approval should continue to apply.

(16) It should be taken into account that the role attributed to type-approval authorities does not end with the production or placing on the market of a vehicle, system, component or a separate technical unit, but extends over several years after the placing on the market of those vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units. This applies in particular with regard to in-service conformity obligations for vehicles falling under Directive 2007/46/EC and with regard to repair and maintenance information obligations and potential recalls for vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units falling under Directive 2007/46/EC, Regulation (EU) No 167/2013, Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 or Regulation (EU) 2016/1628. It is therefore necessary that the authority granting the Union type-approval takes over those obligations also with respect to vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units based on the same type and already placed on the Union market on the basis of the UK type-approval to ensure that there is a responsible type-approval authority.

(17) When manufacturers make use of the procedures set out in this Regulation, their UK type-approval may become invalid before Union type-approval legislation ceases to apply to and in the United Kingdom due to the granting of the Union type-approval for the same type. Since manufacturers should not be disadvantaged for having made use of this Regulation, the stock of compliant vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units produced on the basis of a valid UK type-approval should be allowed to be placed on the market, registered and entered into service, once the manufacturers have obtained a new Union type-approval, for as long as Union type-approval legislation continues to apply to and in the United Kingdom, provided that those vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units continue to fulfil the general requirements of the acts listed in Article 1. Since the moments of placing on the market, of registration, and of entry into service can differ, the moment when the first of those steps has been undertaken should be used to determine the time limits set out in this Regulation.