Written statement on Vehicle Type Approval - Dec 18

Transport Minister (Simon Lightwood): Today, the Government is confirming that it intends to legislate to mandate that vehicles placed on the market in Great Britain must hold dual GB and EU type approval and marking, enabling their sale in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in the absence of evidence that manufacturers are doing so voluntarily. I am also today publishing a call for evidence on this approach.

A GB type-approval scheme for passenger and commercial vehicles was introduced in 2024. Type approval is an established regulatory approach for ensuring that vehicles meet mandatory safety and environmental requirements before they can be registered and used on the roads. Vehicle manufacturers have been given two years to transition all their vehicle models onto the scheme. Good progress is being made, and as the scheme approaches its final stages of implementation, we are working with the manufacturers to ensure they are ready. I encourage any vehicle manufacturers that have yet to begin the process to contact the UK's approval authority, the Vehicle Certification Agency, to ensure they have the correct approvals in place.

The scheme largely applies technical requirements that are harmonised internationally, which ensures that components like braking systems, seatbelts, and lighting are the same in both Great Britain and the EU, supporting UK exports and economic growth. However, I am aware of business concerns about current and potential future divergence between EU and GB requirements, which can lead to unnecessary barriers to trade in a global market. To this end, the former Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP, sent an open letter to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in June to reassure its members that this Government will continue to monitor regulatory activity in the EU and adopt an explicit presumption in favour of alignment in the GB scheme to remove unnecessary duplicative burdens on manufacturers while maintaining high regulatory standards.

The Government is fully committed to supporting the motor industry across the whole of the United Kingdom, recognising the vital role it plays in our economy. Our most recent update to the GB scheme illustrates this approach by removing the need for dual EU and GB approvals for eCall components, and we have recently laid legislation implementing international UN Regulations for cyber security and software updates. We intend to continue to address areas where unnecessary barriers to trade may exist or might arise for manufacturers in future amendments.

We are aware of the importance of an effective single UK market for vehicles, which is important for maintaining consumer choice as well as business flexibility on how they source and supply vehicles, and I am committed to removing barriers that may prevent or hinder this, in line with the Government's commitment to the protection of the UK's internal market.

To sell a vehicle throughout the UK, it must be approved to the GB approval scheme and the EU's equivalent approval scheme which applies in Northern Ireland. The EU has historically been the largest export market for UK-produced cars, accounting for around 54% or over 300,000 cars exported in 2024, and UK supply chains are highly interconnected with Europe. Large volume manufacturers are selling across both markets and already hold EU type approvals for the majority of vehicles they supply. The GB scheme was designed to support manufacturers to mark vehicles to show they have both EU and GB approvals – “dual marking” – and the Government fully expects that vehicles will be dual marked wherever possible to ensure they can be sold across the UK.

While the majority of vehicle models are being dual marked, I am aware that some are not. The Government has engaged extensively with vehicle manufacturers and dealerships in Northern Ireland to address this. I recognise that failing to mark vehicles as suitable for both the GB and EU markets has the potential to cause issues for businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland. I am committed to resolving this and will take the steps necessary to ensure that businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged compared to those in Great Britain. This will also provide a more consistent regulatory landscape that will provide industry with certainty for the future, removing unnecessary duplicative trade frictions and supporting economic growth.

This Government therefore intends to legislate to mandate dual marking if there is not a clear commitment from industry to make this the default approach for vehicles sold in the UK. We will be seeking input from industry and others to better understand the factors leading to the current situation and to help us identify the most effective way of resolving this issue.

I am pleased to inform the house that today I am publishing a call for evidence on the approval and marking of road vehicles placed on the market in Great Britain, and with a view to solidifying Northern Ireland's vehicle retail industry within the UK internal market. In the meantime, the Government continues to urge manufacturers to dual approve vehicles to ensure a consistent regulatory landscape across the UK vehicle market.

The call for evidence will be open until 12 February 2026. I encourage industry to engage with it so that together we can find a solution that protects the UK's internal market.