We are excited to announce the last edition of our #Newsletter! Dive into the latest updates, expert insights, and community spotlights from the #CITA world. Stay informed and join our growing community.
On the 12th and 13th of October, the international vehicle inspection community gathered for the 6th International PTI Workshop in Ispra, Italy. This esteemed event was organized by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW). With the backing of significant entities like the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure Water Management, this workshop promised insights into the pressing issues and future advancements in the field of roadworthiness testing.
A blend of currently relevant and forward-thinking subjects occupied the workshop's schedule:
To further educate and engage the attendees, various presentations and workshops were organized. These sessions spotlighted subjects that are instrumental for the future developments in the periodic inspection of vehicles.
DG MOVE used this platform to provide an update on the status of the RWP. Additionally, attendees had the golden opportunity to get acquainted with initiatives and the horizon of developments in roadworthiness testing across other EU member states.
CITA played an instrumental role in the event. Prominent figures like Gerhard MĂLLER - CITA President, Pascal BUEKENHOUDT - CITA Vice President Technical Affairs, and VĂctor SalvachĂșa - Chairman of the CITA TA A on R&D vehicle compliance, actively participated, sharing their expertise and insights with the gathered professionals.
A touching moment during the event was when the CITA President presented a recognition plate to Hens Peeters-Weem, acknowledging his invaluable contribution to PTI. This gesture became all the more poignant as Mr. Peeters-Weem is set to retire in the upcoming weeks.
In essence, the 6th International PTI Workshop not only addressed the present concerns but also charted a roadmap for the future, ensuring that the vehicle community is well-prepared for the challenges and advancements on the horizon.
In a clear sign of the rapidly evolving landscape of vehicle inspections across Europe, AECA-ITV, the renowned PTI Spanish association, hosted its annual congress in Barcelona on the 4th and 5th of October. The two-day event, fittingly themed "Mirando al Futuro" ("Looking to the Future"), witnessed experts, policymakers, and stakeholders converge to discuss and shape the future of vehicle safety, environmental protection, and inspection standards.
Key insights from the presentations included emphasis on electric vehicles (EVs), on the digitization of inspection records, on environmental regulations, safety protocols, and harmonization across Europe.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the event was the participation of CITA, represented by its Executive Director, Eduard FernĂĄndez, who presented a keenly-anticipated talk on the evolution of PTI in Europe.
The AECA-ITV annual congress served as a reminder of the importance of collaboration in an ever-changing landscape. As Europe drives towards a safer, greener, and more efficient future, organizations like AECA-ITV and CITA will play a crucial role in shaping the direction of vehicle inspections and safety protocols.
In a significant move to bolster international collaboration on vehicle safety standards and inspection protocols, a high-profile Japanese delegation visited yesterday (3 October 2023) GOCA Vlaanderen and CITA in Brussels. The delegation, which comprised of top officials from Japan's transportation departments such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the National Agency for Automobile and Land Transport Technology (NALTEC), the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization (LMVIO), the Japan Automotive Service Equipment Association (JASEA), and the Japan Automobile Standards Internationalization Center (JASIC), aimed to discuss and understand the European models of vehicle inspection and to explore possibilities for mutual learning and cooperation.
The primary focus of this visit was on the robust vehicle inspection system in Europe and in Belgium, which has earned recognition for its stringent quality checks and efficiency. With the growing concerns about vehicle safety, emissions, and the increasing shift towards electric vehicles, the need for a more standardized and comprehensive vehicle inspection system is more crucial than ever.
CITA, known globally for its role in establishing vehicle inspection guidelines, was naturally the focal point of these discussions. The agency shared insights on the latest best practices, technology innovations in inspection, and the challenges faced in ensuring vehicles on the road are safe and compliant.
CITA Recommendation no. 1 lists the items that should be inspected during periodic technical inspection of the vehicle, the method of inspection and the principal reasons for failure. Section 5 of CITA Rec. 1 covers axles, wheels, tyres and suspensions.
The purpose of the new CITA Recommendation no. 26 is to specify in greater detail the recommended test methods and equipment for assessing the condition and performance of the vehicleâs suspension as part of the periodic technical inspection.
A general assumption of periodic inspection is that new vehicles comply with legal requirements. The principal aim of periodic inspection is to test whether a vehicle has been properly maintained and is still roadworthy. This recommendation is based on the requirements for suspensions stated in European Union council directive no. 2014/45/EU on roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers.
The document has been developed by the CITA Suspension Task Force.
It describes 3 stages:
· Stage I: Describes suspension testing in accordance with the current EU directive 2014/45/EU.
· Stage II: Describes the advanced current or near-future technology. Stage II describes what can be done in addition to Stage I.
· Stage III: Description of possible future tests. Stage III describes what can be done besides stages I and II.
The CITA community celebrates the appointment of Mr. Aitor Retes Aguado as the new Secretary General. The appointment was officially approved by the CITA Bureau Permanent on 26 September 2023.
His incredible journey, spanning more than 8 years within CITA Bureau Permanent, marked by perseverance, dedication, and strategic brilliance, has culminated in this well-deserved recognition.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes as he takes on this new role.
Yesterday in Brussels, a significant gathering of PTI experts, governmental officials, and industry stakeholders convened for a hybrid-conference entitled âVehicle Inspection and Society: Beyond Technology.â
Jointly hosted by CITA and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, this event explored the multifaceted dimensions of vehicle inspection, pushing beyond just the technological considerations to unravel its societal and environmental significance. In fact, this collaboration demonstrated the growing importance of vehicle inspections, not only in terms of technological advancements but also its broader implications for society.
Key players from various facets of the industry graced the event, including Mr. Gerhard MĂLLER, the CITA President, and MarĂa JosĂ© MUĂOZ MARTĂNEZ, the Director General for Industry and SME Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism from Spain.
The event was a success thanks also to the active participation of Guillermo MAGAZ PILAR, Managing Director of AECA-ITV; Sergio OLIETE JOSA, Head of Unit, Transport & Urban Development from DG INTPA - EU Commission; Ricardo SUĂREZ BERTOA, Scientific Officer at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) - EU Commission; Victor SALVACHĂA BARCELĂ, Vice President - New Technologies Development from APPLUS+; Macarena FERNĂNDEZ RIVERA, Technical and Operational Director from VEIASA; and Eugenio FERNĂNDEZ CĂCERES, Inspection Site Manager from ITEVELESA.
Key takeaways from the Conference were safety, environmental responsibility, economic implications, and global standards. The primary objective remains the safety of citizens. As vehicles continue to integrate cutting-edge technologies, the process of vehicle inspection has become ever more complex. Efficient vehicle inspection ensures fewer road mishaps, and plays a pivotal role in environmental conservation, ensuring vehicles emit within permissible limits. With a growing need for harmonized vehicle inspection standards across countries to facilitate international transportation, a well-structured inspection mechanism indirectly boosts the economy by ensuring efficient vehicle operations.
The âVehicle Inspection and Society: Beyond Technologyâ conference reiterated the importance of seeing vehicle inspections not as an isolated technical procedure but as a process deeply ingrained in societal, economic, and environmental matrices.
The joint effort by CITA and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU marks a commendable step towards a holistic approach to vehicle inspections, emphasizing its ripple effects across various sectors of society. The Brussels conference not only enriched the discourse around vehicle inspection and its societal ramifications but also paved the way for global collaborations. By sharing knowledge, research, and best practices, stakeholders can drive forward an agenda that prioritizes road safety and environmental health, all while leveraging cutting-edge technology.
UNIMETAL specializes in manufacturing vehicle inspection equipment and developing IT/IoT systems for PTI centers. Their integrated automatic vehicle test lanes and mobile inspection solutions are used in more than 30 countries around the world. In engineering and development, they place a strong emphasis on the technological excellence and innovation as well as efficiency of their products in everyday use. UNIMETAL is eager to contribute to the development of global standards and best practices in vehicle safety, environmental protection and road security.
Under the main theme " Industry Disruption", yesterday (14 September 2023) the FISITA World Mobility Summit 2023 was held in Barcelona.
Since 2009, this annual event of the technology leaders from many of the worldâs leading automotive and mobility brands, has continued to be a highly relevant meeting within the global community, delivering thought leadership and engagement at the leadership level within the member led environment of FISITA.
Several figures from the global mobility industry covered a range of topics, from global economic output in Asia, Europe and the Americas from senior economists in those regions, to the challenges facing mobility technology companies.
Among these figures was the President of CITA, Gerhard MĂŒller, who spoke to the audience about the modern periodic emission test for diesel vehicles.
He explained that although modern combustion engine vehicles are becoming cleaner and more economical thanks to complex exhaust gas after-treatment systems, these must function throughout their entire life cycle. Otherwise, pollutants can increase by a factor of well over one hundred. The detection of manipulated or defective systems is therefore of great importance. For this purpose, periodic testing of exhaust emissions, which is mandatory for all vehicles, is an appropriate means, since vehicles with excessively high emissions of harmful substances are identified and must be repaired.
He introduced the new particle number measurement as a measurement method for diesel vehicles with particle traps. This very efficient and simple method for reliably detecting manipulated or defective particulate filters and has recently been successfully introduced in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
This new periodic emissions test provides a significant contribution to improving air quality, especially in urban areas, he said in conclusion.
This document is the Manual to accompany the Assessment of Vehicle Inspection Systems (AVIS) Tool. It is provided to guide users of the AVIS tools in how to use it, what data is required, and as an explanation of why and how the AVIS Tool uses that data to make an assessment of the inspection systems in a country.
The AVIS Tool has been developed by CITA using the extensive experience and expertise of its membership, which includes various types of inspection systems implemented in many countries and regions around the world. This international outlook has enabled the development of an impartial assessment tool for vehicle inspection systems, that can be used in any country.
Initially, the tool was developed as a concept for Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), to assess their inspection systems and provide guidance on which areas were in need of development, so that efforts to improve them could be prioritised. At this time, the tool is designed to be used by inspection authorities around the globe in their own in-country assessments, or by a CITA expert/team for an independent CITA-authorised assessment. It can be used as a tool for the setup of new inspection systems, for the continuous improvement of existing systems, or at the start and end of a project to demonstrate the progress made.
The goal of the AVIS tool is to provide a transparent procedure to assess the vehicle inspection system(s) of a country, based on criteria that are made publicly available. This involves the evaluation of both the theoretical/legislated framework, and its application/implementation. The criteria used are primarily based upon recognised international regulations, standards, recommendations and studies; and are refined using the extensive experience of the CITA membership.
CITA hopes that the AVIS will be used extensively around the globe to make improvements to the safe-running and operation of vehicles.