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Pandoras box has opened!

The European Commission has amended the ‘Euro 5’ emissions Regulation by passing a new law that regulates the access to the electronic spare parts identification data by those market participants not associated with a vehicle manufacturer’s network, that is to say, the independent sector. (That’s us!)

These include, for example, multi-brand repair shops, independent parts wholesalers, roadside rescue patrols, manufacturers of diagnostic tools and also parts suppliers. On a Europe-wide basis, this represents about 885,000 businesses with some 4.6m employees!

The new law obligates the vehicle assemblers to release electronic data that allow an exact identification of car spare parts.

Given the every growing complexity of modern vehicles and the growing parts variety and diversity even within one series, independent aftermarket operators found it increasingly difficult to carry out their business, i.e. to produce and sell parts and offer other services. There was the threat of a monopoly on the part of the vehicle manufacturers and thus of higher prices to be paid by Europe’s motorists.

To prevent a market monopoly on information, the European Commission has tackled the problem and responded to it.

By amending ‘Euro 5’, the EU Commission has strengthened two major European ideas:

• It promotes fair competition in the car repair market since now all operators are entitled to the required data and thus have the same information that helps them access the market on the same footing.
• The right to affordable mobility enshrined in the EU’s principles is also strengthened since an intensive competition in the repair market and the price competition this entails has a positive impact upon consumers’ disposable budgets.

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