The IAAF has reported that the European Commission is proposing to extend the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations (MVBER) until 2028 and revise slightly the accompanying guidelines following a review process.

The five-year extension means the regulation would expire on 31 May 2028. The European Commission will be consulting stakeholders on the draft rules in the second quarter of 2022, and the final adoption is foreseen in the second quarter of 2023.

Mark Field, IAAF Chief Executive, said: “We welcome the news from the European Commission and will lobby the UK government to follow suit. We shall also call for greater enforcement of the regulations as the reality is that there is a lack of understanding on the interpretation of the legislation, with many issues falling into ‘grey areas’ or being applied incorrectly. This is not in the spirit of the legislation and co-operation needs to happen so that motorists can continue to access local and affordable independent garages that have access to the right parts, tools and technical information.”

Post Brexit the UK version of MVBER expires in May 2023 and so attention now turns to the UK government. UK AFCAR, the new UK automotive lobbying group comprising automotive trade associations and commercial organisations, will call for the UK MVBER to be modernised, in-line with technical and digital enhancements within the modern motor vehicle.