./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NLD/19
20 June 2001
(01-3071)
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):   Safety cell, belts,
protruding parts.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   D e c r e e  o f  …
Amending Traffic Rules and Signs Regulations 1990 as well as the Vehicle Rules
(amending the duty to wear a helmet).
6. Description of content:   The re-introduction of the duty to wear a helmet for drivers and
passengers of three- and four-wheeled mopeds that feature non-enclosed bodywork;introduction of the duty to wear a helmet for drivers and passengers of three-wheeled
motorised vehicles, including certain light four-wheeled vehicles which are not equipped
with belts, introduction of the possibility for exemption from the duty to wear a helmet for
drivers or passengers of motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles that meet certain criteria in
terms of design.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
New types of mopeds and motor cycles require the regulations concerning the duty to wear
a helmet to be revised.  The principle which underlies these amendments is that the driver
and passengers of a moped, motorcycle or three-wheeled vehicle must be protected against
head injury by wearing an approved helmet, or be exempt from the duty to wear a helmet if
their vehicle is equipped in such a way that the driver and passengers are protected against
head injury in an equivalent manner.
8. Relevant documents:   Road Traffic Act 1994 (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 1994, 475;
most recent amendment Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 2000, 571), Traffic Rules and Signs
Regulations 1990 (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 1990, 459; most recent amendment Bulletin
of Acts and Decrees 2000, 563), Vehicle Rules (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 1994, 450;most recent amendment 2001, 16)          G/TBT/N/NLD/19
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 November 2001
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 December 2001
10. Final date for comments:   6 August 2001
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:           