Farmers outrage over EU ATV rules

Farmers are up in arms over the European Commission’s plans to bring about

changes that will have an adverse effect on the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture.

While the proposals are intended to improve safety, market competition and reduce the complexity of existing rules governing motorbikes and quads, farmers believe the new regulations for on-road ATV use will reduce the quads’ off-road capabilities and completely undermine their current use in farming.

Eifion Davies, Meirionnydd NFU Cymru County Chairman, said, ’Farmers use quads

off- road seven days a week to inspect and gather livestock and haul feed. Safety is of paramount importance to us in the industry but we believe the proposals to bring all new quads up to full road safety specifications will result in them being higher off the ground and make them less stable on steep ground. Traction will also be lost through design changes to the back axle and the quads will be heavier with less powerful engines. In effect, they will become less suitable for agricultural use and lead to a significant impact on farmers’ choice of working vehicle.

’We estimate that the increased technical standards for the on-road vehicles, as currently proposed by the European Commission, will make ATVs up to 50 per cent more expensive to design and build. We believe there has to be a distinction between quads used for vital farm work and ATVs used as on-road recreational vehicles,’ Mr Davies added.

NFU Cymru is already voicing farmers’ concerns directly to the European Commission and Union members are encouraged to raise the issue with the four Members of the European Parliament who represent Wales to amend the proposals before they become law. The European Parliament’s agriculture committee is likely to vote on the proposals this month with a full parliamentary vote in early 2012.