UK-AFCAR welcomes new MV-BEO

The UK Alliance for the Freedom of Car Repair (UK AFCAR) has welcomed the new Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order (MV-BEO) proposals but has called for greater detail on how positive revisions of the regulation would be implemented to support consumers and aftermarket businesses.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is recommending to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Jacob Rees-Mogg, that the retained Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations (MV-BER) should be replaced by a MV-BEO, which should remain in place until 31 May 2029.

The CMA said: “The new Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order (MV-BEO) should be tailored to meet the specific needs of UK businesses and consumers and reflects the board consensus of responses to its consultation.

“The MV-BEO should be broadly similar to the existing MV-BER to ensure continuity for businesses, whilst providing some amendments to improve and reflect market developments.”

It also said that the definition of spare parts should clearly include lubricants and encompass all software together with activation/configuration codes for replacement parts and components, while access to technical and in-vehicle information must be a critical development.

Mark Field, IAAF chief executive and UK AFCAR chairman, said: “We broadly welcome the top-line revisions to the MV-BEO. A key issue of the previous legislation was lack of enforcement of the regulation and its impact, particularly at garage level. We are only at the beginning of a long journey that seeks to ensure consumer choice – and the ability for the aftermarket to compete – is protected.”