New law to regulate auto spare parts from January
Manufacturers, dealers and auto mechanics have until end of this year to comply with law
Dubai: Auto parts manufacturers, dealers and auto mechanics will have until end of this year to comply with the new UAE Vehicle Control System that comes into effect from January 2019, Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) announced on Monday.
The new system, which will ensure that counterfeit auto parts are phased out of the country, was scheduled to partially come into effect last month. However, ESMA after consulting with industry stakeholders has decided to give industry players more time to comply with the new regulations.
The system ensures that no auto parts without the ESMA quality mark enters the UAE market from the beginning of January, the authority announced on Monday.
According to ESMA, the regulation will initially control only new parts entering the UAE market, however, the local traders will have a year’s time to get rid of non-complying parts already available in the market.
Abdullah Al Muaini, Director-General of ESMA said that the standards are being implemented in coordination with local authorities who will monitor the market, while adding that enough time is being given to traders to phase out non-complying products.
With the partial implementation of the regulations, the authority is expecting to control at least 50 per cent of counterfeit products within the first year.
“From the beginning of next year, ESMA will not allow import, manufacturing or use of spare parts without a certificate of conformity by ESMA. All stakeholders, including vehicle repair workshops, will have to comply with the new regulations after the implementation of the new system,” said Al Muaini, speaking at a workshop.
The workshop was organised by ESMA to educate all stakeholders, including inspectors and monitoring agencies about the new system.
Developed by ESMA in 2016, the UAE Vehicle Control System when fully implemented will cover all aspects of vehicle safety management, regulating auto garages, body workshops, testing facilities, manufacturing units etc.
Approved by the UAE cabinet in April, the regulation aims to improve the quality of spare parts used in local markets and ensure the protection and rights of the consumer, by filtering out counterfeit and defective products.
“The system focuses on ensuring the highest quality of parts that are key to a vehicle’s safety, such as brakes and the transmission system, as well as spare parts for the electrical system and lighting units, as well as ventilation units,” added Al Muaini.
The new system specifies standards and criteria for safety, performance and technical soundness of the spare parts.
The system will also create a database which will have the information about all the spare parts manufactured or imported in the country. The database will identify the make and model of the products, helping differentiate between the original and counterfeit products.
As part of the system, ESMA is also working on the standards to govern the sector that will set a minimum requirement in terms of skills of mechanics and service quality for a workshop to operate.