. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NLD/53
1 October 2002
(02-5256)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry
Point – EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Retro-reflective material
with which the size of a vehicle is more clearly visible.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft regulation by
the Minister for Transport and Communication, amending the Regulation on permanent
requirements, the Regulation on the APK (G eneral Periodical Inspection) method of
inspection and the Regulation on the inspection method of vehicles liable to non-periodic
inspection in connection with the authorisation of retro-reflective material on heavy
company cars and trailers.
6. Description of content:   This draft Regulation contains implementing regulations for the
application of the retro-reflective material that is permitted for heavy company cars and
trailers on the basis of the draft Decree amending the Vehicle Rules
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The draft Regulation serves to implement Rule UN/ECE No 104.  In anticipation of the
inclusion of this Rule in the Community type approval scheme of Directive 70/156/EEC,the Netherlands would like the use of the material, which this rule provides for, to be
permitted for heavy company cars and trailers.  The use of the material is therefore, for
clarity's sake, not obligatory but optional. If the material is to be used, then this shall only be
possible under certain conditions.  These provisions have been adopted from UN/ECE Rule
No 104.  The reason which has been given for not waiting for the rule to be included within
the framework of Directive 70/156/EEC, is the fact that there is much interest in the use ofthe material in industry and moreover its use may have a positive effect on traffic safety.
8. Relevant documents:   The Regulation on permanent requirements, the Regulation on the
APK method of inspection and the Regulation on the inspection method of vehicles liable to
non-periodic inspection.G/TBT/N/NLD/53
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  February 2003
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 March 2003
10. Final date for comments:   7 December 2002
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           