The Independent Automotive Aftermarket, or IAAF, has approved of a number of the amendments that have been made by the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee. The amendments that have been put forward address the diagnostics, repair and maintenance of vehicles. The amendments for the maintenance of vehicles have been put forward alongside new approval legislation which is also being implemented.

In order to make the legislative framework involving the diagnostics and maintenance of vehicles better for independant operators, more than 184 amendments have been approved. The aftermarket has also suggested a range of key revisions. One of the most vital revisions that have been suggested is making sure that the OBD port to the vehicle needs to be kept open and accessible.

This process has not been completed though, after the proposal has been accepted by the European Parliament, the plans need to be agreed upon with the European Commission as well, which could lead to a  number of compromises and amendments. The informal trilogues is the next stage, when the changes meen the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Even though there has been a great deal of progress, there is still a way to go to to secure the use of the OBD connector.

The OBD port is vital as part of the maintenance of vehicles as it gives Technicians a way of diagnosing problems with the vehicle in a timely and efficient manner. Keeping the port accessible is central to making sure that the customer gets the best value for the service they receive as well as the speeding up diagnostic time. The changes that have been proposed will have significant consequences for consumers as their choice will be impacted. Also if the changes are implemented, independant garages will not have unmonitored access to the OBD connector, as the port will be controlled by the VM and remote diagnostics which are performed by their servers.