2.3.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 60/1 (Legislative acts) | REGULATIONS REGULATION (EU) No 1672013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 February 2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national Parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (2), Whereas: (1)  In order to promote the internal market, a compre- hensive Union type-approval system for tractors, their trailers and interchangeable towed equipment was estab- lished by Directive 2003/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on type-approval of agricultural or forestry tractors, their trailers and interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units (?). (2)  For the purposes of the development and operation of the internal market of the Union, it is appropriate to replace the approval systems of the Member States with a Union type-approval procedure based on the () OJ C 54, 19.2.2011, p. 42. (3) Position of the European Parliament of 20 November 2012 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 28 January 2013. () OJ L 171, 9.7.2003, p. 1. principle of total harmonisation, while at the same time taking due account of cost-benefit considerations, with special attention given to small and medium-sized enter- prises. Following the request of the European Parliament and with the aim of simplifying and accelerating the adoption of type-approval legislation, a new regulatory approach has been introduced in Union vehicle type- approval legislation in accordance with which the legislator in the ordinary legislative procedure sets out the fundamental rules and principles only and delegates the power to adopt delegated acts concerning further technical details to the Commission. With regard to substantive  requirements, this Regulation should therefore lay down only fundamental provisions on func- tional safety, occupational safety and environmental performance and delegate to the Commission the power to lay down the technical specifications in delegated acts. The requirements of this Regulation are in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Commission Communication of 5 June 2002 entitled ‘Action plan ”) “Simplifying and improving the regulatory environment”. It is of particular importance that future measures proposed on the basis of this Regulation or procedures to be implemented in application of it comply with the principles which have been restated in the report published by the Commission in 2006 entitled ‘CARS 21: A Competitive Automotive Regulatory System for the 21st century’ (CARS 21’). In particular, for the purposes of better regulation and simplification and in order to avoid constant updating of existing Union legis- lation on issues of technical specifications, this Regu- lation should make reference to existing international standards and regulations which are available to the public without reproducing them in the Union legal framework.