With effect from 1 October 2000, no Member State may, on grounds relating to safety belts and restraint systems:

• refuse, in respect of a type of motor vehicle, safety belt, restraint system or child restraint system, to grant EC type-approval, or national type-approval, or

• prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of vehicles, or the sale or entry into service of safety belts, restraint systems or child restraint systems,

if the safety belts and restraint systems or child restraint systems in question meet the requirements of Directive 77/541/EEC as amended by this Directive.

With effect from 1 October 2001 Member States:

• shall no longer grant EC type-approval, and

• may refuse to grant national type-approval,

for a type of vehicle, if the requirements of Directive 77/541/EEC as amended by this Directive as regards child restraint systems and the installation of safety belts in all seating positions in M1 vehicles including, where fitted, integrated child restraint systems, are not fulfilled.

However, the requirement for three-point belts in all seating positions in M1 vehicles shall apply with effect from 1 April 2002. Until this date, the seat belt fitment requirements for M1 vehicles shall be those prescribed in Annex XV to Directive 77/541/EEC.

With effect from 1 October 2002, Member States:

• shall consider certificates of conformity which accompany new vehicles of category M1 pursuant to Directive 70/156/EEC as no longer valid for the purpose of Article 7(1) of that Directive and refuse the registration, sale or entry into service of new vehicles which are not accompanied by a valid certificate of conformity pursuant to Directive 70/156/EEC, except where the provisions of Article 8(2) of that Directive are invoked,

• may refuse the registration, sale or entry into service of new vehicles of category N1 and M2 having a mass not greater than 3,5 tonnes as regards, when fitted, integrated child restraint systems,

on grounds relating to safety belts and restraint systems if the requirements of Directive 77/541/EEC as amended by this Directive are not fulfilled.

However, the requirement for three-point belts in all seating positions in M1 vehicles shall apply with effect from 1 October 2004. Until this date, the seat belt fitment requirements for M1 vehicles shall be those prescribed in Annex XV to Directive 77/541/EEC.

With effect from 1 January 2001 the requirements of Directive 77/541/EEC as amended by this Directive relating to integrated child restraint systems, where fitted as original equipment to a vehicle, shall apply for the purposes of Article 7(1) of Directive 70/156/EEC.