On November 24, the Eurasian Economic Commission's Council amended the EAEU Technical Regulations "On safety of machinery and equipment" and "On safety of agricultural and forestry tractors and their trailers".
The amendments were prepared by the Russian Federation in a proactive manner to ensure the possibility of using gas as a motor fuel for agricultural and forestry tractors and a wide range of self-propelled vehicles and are supported by all countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The Member States' enterprises have mastered a range of equipment and technical solutions enabling to ensure the manufacture of agricultural machinery using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a motor fuel.
At present, the technical regulation for agricultural and forestry tractors stipulates mandatory safety requirements to tractors using gas as a motor fuel, as well as to components of such tractors that power their engines with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG).
Amendments to this technical regulation envisage the extension of its requirements to equipment for powering tractor engines with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and tractor machinery fitted with such equipment.
Amendments to the technical regulation on machinery and equipment provide for the possibility of installing equipment on self-propelled vehicles to power engines using gaseous fuel (CNG, LNG or LPG).
In order to eliminate double regulation in respect of gas-cylinder equipment, amendments were made to the Union's Technical Regulation "On safety of equipment operating under excessive pressure", envisaging the exclusion of gas-cylinder equipment and elements specially designed for use on self-propelled vehicles, agricultural and forestry tractors from its scope of application.
The amendments to these technical regulations shall come into effect after 360 calendar days have elapsed from the date of official publication of the EEC Council’s decision on making them.
For reference
The EAEU Technical Regulation "On safety of machinery and equipment" (TR CU 010/2011) was adopted by Decision No. 823 of the Customs Union Commission dated October 18, 2011 and came into effect on February 15, 2013.
The EAEU Technical Regulation “On safety of agricultural and forestry tractors and their trailers ” (TR CU 031/2012) was adopted by Decision No. 60 of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Council dated July 20, 2011 and came into effect on February 15, 2015.
The EAEU Technical Regulation “On safety of equipment operating under excessive pressure” (TR CU 032/2013) was adopted by Decision No. 41 of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Council dated July 2, 2013 and came into effect on February 1, 2014.