The European Commission has proposed a liberalisation of design protection rules, which would extend to some of the continent's largest automotive markets.

Already independent aftermarket suppliers in 17 member states, including the UK, have access to technical data and under the proposals that access would be made available to 10 others.

Those countries that still have design protection are industry giants Germany and France. With strong support from Acea, the carmaker's trade association, European vehicle manufacturers have vehemently opposed the proposals. An Acea report claims that the abolition of design protection would not only hurt the industry but provide little benefit for consumers. The trade association said that prices were not necessarily lower in member states without protection, citing the UK as an example of an unprotected state with many parts priced higher than those in Germany and France, where design protection is maintained.

A liberalisation of design rules could also pose a threat to motorists, Acea argued, as the materials used in alternative replacement components may not fulfil safety requirements taken into account by the original manufacturer. The report said: “Safety design is now so sophisticated that body parts need to be tested with the rest of the body because maximum safety results from the interplay between a variety of parts.” A study for the EC has said that car manufacturers could lose up to €2.2bn (£1.59bn) in annual revenues if current body parts restrictions in those ten EU states were abolished.