European Standards in the programme of FederUnacoma
During the Federation directorate, held in Brussels on 24 of September, the issues concerning technical regulations with immediate effect on mechanization sectors were illustrated. The programme of the Federation and Cema, (European Association representing the Agricultural Machinery Industry), had a wide range of topics such as the "Mother Regulation", Isobus as well as tractors exhaust and noise emissions
The EU Institutions represent the reference point for regulations concerning machinery production, agriculture, environmental sustainability and work safety. The Italian Agricultural Machinery Manifactures Federation constantly follows legislative evolution and procedures by monitoring the works of the Parliament and the Commission and by partecipating in the technical boards organized to take stock of criteria and scheduled activities.
In the last years the Federation was increasingly involved in the EU environment, with a consistent partecipation in activities concerning Machinery Legislation and directives for: emissions from tractors and non road mobile machinery; type-approval of tractors and other agricultural machinery; acoustic emissions of outdoor used machinery; RAEE (Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive); the respect of safety standards and ISO Standards developed at CED (European Committee for Standardization).
The European schedule was illustrated during FederUnacoma directorate, held in Brussels on 24 of September. The following speakers attended the event: Gianfranco dell'Alba, Director of the Confindustria Delegation in Brussels; Marco Peronaci, Permanent Representative Ambassador at the EU; Diego Canga Fano, Head of Cabinet of the Commission Vice-president Antonio Tajani; Barbara Bonvissuto, Deputy Head of Unit – Sustainable Mobility and Automotive Unit, DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission; Charlotte Andersdotter, Policy Officer at DG for Research and Technological Development, European Commission, and Gilles Dryancour, President of Cema. The speakers illustrated EU policies on specific issues in behalf of machinery manufacturers and highlighted strategic perspectives concerning the Italian delegations in Europe. In the last months – as highlighted during the meeting – Italian manufacturers promoted the delegated acts of the "Mother Regulation" (Law Nr. 167/2013 concerning the technical requirements for the type-approval of tractors, trailers and towed machinery). At the top of the programme, were the updating of braking requirements, new procedures for revision of agricultural machinery registered according to Traffic Laws, regulations on ISOBUS technologies, high-voltage systems, wireless sensor networks and highly automated machinery. Top priorities were also the revision of 97/68/CE directive, concerning engine gas emissions from non-road mobile machinery and of 2000/25/CE directive concerning engine gas emissions from agricultural and forestal tractors' engines, with specific reference to problems concerning tight tractors.
Other priorities were the development of technical norms concerning agricultural machinery and its components (cardan joints, self-propelled machines having reversing risks, round bale wrappers, crop dusters, combine-harvesters, fruit harvesters, manure spreaders and telehandlers); the update of safety standards concerning gardening and forestal machinery such as lawn mowers, compact tractors, leaf aspirators and blowers, wood-cutting machines, pruning chainsaws and hedge trimmers.
In addition, the Federation promoted initiatives aimed at giving information on European activities, such as the definition of Cema's methodological and normative requirements for the creation of a common accident database in agriculture.
