New legislation….it’s coming, but it’s going to cost you.

Please read below as unless the manufacturers and distributors take action now, it is going to cost the industry huge amounts of resources both logistically and financially.

As you are all aware, the legislation requiring the Type Approval of all catalytic converters fitted to vehicles first registered from Jan 1st 2001 will shortly be implemented into the UK aftermarket. BM are 100% behind this legislation and have been investing heavily in the approvals for the past 18 months, both for the UK and European markets. Whilst we are supportive of the legislation, currently the UK government and VCA are proposing that no sell through period be accommodated. We believe that distributors should be allowed to sell through any stock on their shelves that was purchased prior to the legislation being implemented. Without a sell through period, distributors will be put under financial and logistical pressures at a time when economic uncertainty is already causing difficulties in the UK aftermarket. We, along with the ADF, a number of our customers and other manufacturers are lobbying strongly for a sell through period which would enable distributors to navigate their way through these problems.

Without a sell through period you can expect to have to retrieve all affected stock from your branches and return them to the manufacturer, if indeed your manufacturer allows you to return them. You will then need to replace this stock with approved products overnight which will be at a significantly higher cost to that you have returned, due to the higher specification that is required for approved cats. We believe that a sell through period will spread the cost by simply replacing a non approved product with an approved version once a sale has been completed. This minimizes the initial outlay at the implementation stage and also prevents the logistical pressures of returning the stock to your supplier, while achieving the aims of the legislation.

It appears that a number of manufacturers and importers are not supporting the idea of a sell through period and are actively opposing the concept. This will absolutely be detrimental to your business in terms of cost and logistics. BM urge you to contact your cat suppliers to ask them if they are supporting your need for a sell through period. Whilst manufacturers may be prepared to take your old stock back, it will still leave you with a significant cost and logistical problem from day one which could be prevented.

If you would like more information on a sell through period, please feel free to contact us or send your views to us so we can pass them to the ADF, VCA and DFT. Alternatively you can contact the Department for Transport directly to lodge your concerns about the lack of sell through period. Contact details are available by clicking on the link below.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/devices/coveringletter

New UK Legislation Is Set To Come In Soon

The consultation period for the forthcoming cat Type Approval Legislation has finally been completed. The government will now decide on an official implementation date which will be announced in the near future. Our expectations are that the date will be somewhere between the beginning and middle of June.

We are pleased that the legislation is coming in. It certainly means that the quality of aftermarket catalytic converters will improve, and this can only be a good thing for the industry and the environment. Our investment in meeting the requirements of the legislation has been significant.

We have been working aggressively over the past 18 months at testing our products and gaining the required approvals. We are now in a position whereby we have a strong launch range for both cross over and post 2001 only fitments. This range will be expanded significantly each month after the implementation and we are confident of having the biggest range of Type Approved catalysts manufactured in the UK within 6 months.

We will shortly be announcing further details of our range, along with comprehensive interactive training and our new online catalogue to help you find the correct part.

Please contact a member of our Marketing Department if you would like more information on the legislation.

Type Approval Certificates Explained

Click here to view our 'Type Approval Certificates Explained' document.