Judgment — ECLI:EU:C:2006:468
Date: 2006-07-13
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Sixth Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Approximation of laws
Concepts: General
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Germany

Summary of the Judgment Approximation of laws – Motor vehicles – Community type-approval procedure – Directive 70/156 (Council Directive 70/156) Directive 70/156 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, as amended by Directive 92/53, is to be interpreted as meaning that it does not preclude national rules which provide that a vehicle is not subject to the national speed limits for passenger cars, even where that vehicle has been registered as a passenger car on the basis of a Community type-approval granted pursuant to that directive. Directive 70/156 applies to the technical characteristics of a type of vehicle. Neither the wording of the directive nor its object or its purpose show that the Community legislature intended to attach to Community type-approval by vehicle types, introduced by that directive in order to eliminate obstacles to the completion of the internal market, consequences in relation to the application of national road traffic rules governing the speed limits applying to different categories of motor vehicles. (see paras 18, 20-21, operative part)