1.The manufacturer may apply for a national type-approval of small series of a type of vehicle within the quantitative annual limits set out in Annex II. These limits shall apply to the making available on the market, registration or entry into service of vehicles of the approved type on the market of each Member State in a given year.
For the national type-approval of small series, the approval authority may, if it has reasonable grounds to do so, waive one or more of the provisions of this Regulation and one or more of the provisions of one or more of the acts listed in Annex I, provided that it specifies alternative requirements.
2.The alternative requirements referred to in paragraph 1 shall ensure a level of functional safety and environmental protection and occupational safety which is equivalent to the greatest extent practicable to the level provided for by the relevant acts listed in Annex I.
3.For the national type-approval of vehicles under this Article, systems, components or separate technical units which are type-approved in accordance with the acts listed in Annex I shall be accepted.
4.The type-approval certificate for vehicles type-approved in accordance with this Article shall be drafted in accordance with the template referred to in Article 25(2), but shall not bear the heading ‘EU vehicle type-approval certificate’ and shall specify the content of the waivers granted pursuant to paragraph 1. Type-approval certificates shall be numbered in accordance with the harmonised system referred to in Article 24(4).
5.The validity of a national type-approval of small series shall be restricted to the territory of the Member State whose approval authority granted the approval.
6.However, at the request of the manufacturer, a copy of the type-approval certificate and its attachments shall be sent by registered mail or by electronic mail to the approval authorities of the Member States designated by the manufacturer.
7.Within three months of receipt of the request referred to in paragraph 6, the approval authorities of the Member States designated by the manufacturer shall decide whether or not they accept the type-approval. They shall formally communicate their decision to the approval authority which granted the national type-approval of small series.
8.The approval authorities of the Member States shall accept the national type-approval unless they have reasonable grounds to believe that the national technical requirements in accordance with which the vehicle was approved are not equivalent to their own.
9.At the request of an applicant who wishes to place on the market or register a vehicle with national type-approval of small series in another Member State, the approval authority that granted the national type-approval of small series shall provide the national authority of the other Member State with a copy of the type-approval certificate including the information package. Paragraphs 7 and 8 shall apply.