Overview

• The government has adopted an explicit presumption of alignment with EU’s GSR2 and is using statutory instruments to mandate breathalyser interlocks, event data recorders and driver drowsiness warnings in all new British cars
• Under the Northern Ireland Protocol GSR2 standards have applied since mid-2024 and extending them to Great Britain aims to prevent regulatory divergence and avoid duplicative type approvals
• The Department for Transport’s letter to carmakers highlights cost savings and unified vehicle type approvals, a position endorsed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
• Conservative opponents including Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Mark Francois condemn the move as “alignment by stealth” that bypasses full parliamentary debate and undermines post-Brexit sovereignty
• This initiative follows Labour’s May “reset” deal to align plant and animal health rules with Brussels, fuelling debate over the use of secondary legislation to enact EU-derived standards