ANNEX I

This Annex establishes the criteria to determine whether a vehicle is an end-of-life vehicle, and shall be applied as follows: Part A lays down the criteria to assess the irreparability of a vehicle. If one or more of these criteria are met, the vehicle shall be considered to be an end-of-life vehicle. If none of the criteria of Part A are met, the vehicle shall be assessed in accordance with the criteria provided for in Part B. If one or more of the criteria of Part B are met, a technical assessment shall determine which repairs are needed to obtain a roadworthiness certificate in accordance with Directive 2014/45/EU in the Member State where the vehicle was registered before repair. Based on that technical assessment, the vehicle owner shall decide whether he or she wants to discard the vehicle. If, within five years of that technical assessment, the vehicle owner does not obtain a roadworthiness certificate in accordance with Directive 2014/45/EU, the vehicle shall be considered to be an end-of-life vehicle. For the period of those five years, that technical assessment shall constitute documentation that the vehicle is not an end-of-life vehicle. The assessment referred to in this Annex shall be conducted by an independent automotive expert. Member States may establish an exhaustive list of independent automotive experts to carry out those assessments. Following a request by a vehicle owner, the competent authorities of the Member State of registration of a vehicle, or one of its appointed authorising bodies, may exempt a vehicle that is considered to be an end-of-life vehicle in accordance with this Annex from being an end-of-life vehicle, when the vehicle concerned is subject to repair,. A vehicle is an end-of-life vehicle when it meets one or more of the following criteria: it has been cut into pieces or dismantled for reuse of its parts; it has been burnt to the point where the engine compartment or passenger compartment is completely destroyed; it has been submerged in water to a level above the dashboard; one or several of the following components of the vehicle can, from a technical point of view, be neither repaired nor replaced: ground coupling components (such as tyres and wheels), suspension, steering, braking, and their control components; seat fixings and joints; airbags, pre-tensioners, safety belts, and their peripheral operating components; the vehicle’s hull and chassis or shell; its structural and safety components have technical defects that are irreversible and that render them non-replaceable; it was handed over for treatment to a collection point or an authorised treatment facility; it has been declared as a total technical loss by an insurance company, based on the technical assessment carried out by an automotive expert. If none of the criteria of Part A apply, the vehicle shall be assessed in accordance with the following criteria: it is abandoned or the means allowing it to be identified are lacking, in particular the VIN; it is not appropriately protected against damage during storage, transportation, loading and unloading; the costs necessary to repair the vehicle to a technical condition that would be sufficient to obtain a roadworthiness certificate added to its current value exceed its estimated market value after repair; it has been submerged in water to a level below the dashboard, with damage to the engine or electrical system; its fuel or fuel vapours have been discharged, posing a risk of fire and explosion; gas has leaked from its liquid gas system posing a risk of fire and explosion; its operating liquids (fuel, brake fluid, anti-freeze liquid, battery acid electrolyte solution, cooling liquid) have been discharged, posing a risk of water pollution; it has been dismantled; or it has one or more entry points welded up or closed by insulating foam.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-14 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.