EC WVTA is to ensure that new vehicles are safe to use on the road and have a lower impact on the environment, without having to inspect and test every single one. Businesses that manufacture, build, convert or sell passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles or trailers may also require type approval under legislation being phased in between 2009 and 2014 that will bring them into line with the car sector, which has been subject to similar legislation for more than ten years.

EC WVTA has created a single European market in trucks, buses and trailers. Self-certification of trailers is being phased out and replaced by two new statutory recording schemes - one for light trailers, the other for large trailers.
You must submit any new vehicle made, adapted or imported for sale in the UK or the European Union (EU) to the approval authority for whole vehicle approval in a member state before you can sell it anywhere in the EU. However, once a vehicle has approval in any one member state, it will apply to all vehicles of that type throughout the EU.