3.5.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 106/7 DIRECTIVE 2000/8/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 March 2000 amending Council Directive 70/221/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to liquid fuel tanks and rear underrun protection of motor vehicles and their trailers THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 95 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1)  Council Directive 70/221/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to liquid fuel tanks and rear underrun protection for motor vehicles and their trailers(*), is one of the separate  directives within the EC type-approval procedure which was established by Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1990 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (°); consequently, the provisions and definitions laid down in Directive 70/156/EEC concerning vehicles, vehicles systems, components and separate technical units apply to Directive 70/221/EEC; it is necessary to adapt Article 1 of Directive 70/221/EEC to the definitions of Directive 70/156/EEC. (20 In order to take account of technical progress, it is advisable to adapt Directive 70/221/EEC to the technical requirements adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in its Regulation No 34 relating to the approval of vehicles with regard to the prevention of fire risk, in particular, to the provisions of fuel tanks made of plastic material. () O] C 164, 29.5.1998, p. 16. () O] C 407, 28.12.1998, p. 58. (}) Opinion of the European Parliament of 10 February 1999 (O] C 150, 28.5.1999, p. 168), Council common position of 12 July 1999 (O] C 249, 1.9.1999, p. 25), decision of the European Parliament of 27 October 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () O] L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 23. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 97/19/EC (O] L 125, 16.5.1997, p. 1). () OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 11, 16.1.1999, p. 25). (3)  The accidental spillage of fuel (especially diesel) on to the road is a significant hazard for riders of two-wheeled motor vehicles and pedal cycles. (4)  There is increasing interest in gaseous fuels for the propulsion of motor vehicles, in particular for environmental reasons; whereas therefore, in future, Directive 70/221/EEC should also contain provisions for tanks for fuels other than liquid fuels; for this purpose the title and the scope of Directive 70/221/EEC should be amended accordingly; technical specifications for tanks for gaseous fuels will be introduced through later amendments of the said Directive. (5)  Furthermore, it is more and more common for original fuel tanks to be replaced by larger fuel tanks or for additional, unapproved fuel tanks to be installed; provision should consequently be made at the earliest opportunity for Community type-approval of liquid and gas fuel tanks as separate technical units, in order to maintain a high level of safety in motor-vehicle traffic. (6)  Amendments to the provisions relating to fuel tanks have to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council; whereas it is expedient that, in the future, amendments necessary for adjusting the technical requirements of Directive 70/221/EEC relating to fuel tanks to technical progress should be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC. (7)  The amendments made by this Directive relate in particular to fuel tanks made of a plastic material; it is unnecessary therefore to invalidate existing approvals granted under Directive 74/60/EEC(®) and to prevent the sale, registration and entry into service of new vehicles having metal liquid fuel tanks covered by such approvals. (8)  Given the scale and impact of the action proposed in the sector in question, the Community measures which are the subject of this Directive are necessary, or even indispensable, to attain the objective set, namely () OJ L 38, 11.2.1974, p. 2. Directive as last amended by Directive 78/632[EEC (O] L 206, 29.7.1978, p. 26).