1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 28June 1977
onthe approximation of the lawsof the Member States relating to rear fog lamps for motor vehicles
and their trailers
(77/538/EEC)
(OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 60)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►A1 Act of Accession of Greece L 291 17 19.11.1979
►A2 Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal L 302 23 15.11.1985
Corrected by:
►C1 Corrigendum, OJ L 284, 10.10.1978, p. 11 (77/538/EEC)
▼B
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 28June 1977
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to
rear fog lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers
(77/538/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),
Whereas the technical requirements which motor vehicles must satisfy
pursuant to national laws relate inter alia to their rear fog lamps;
Whereas these requirements differ from one Member State to another;
whereas it is therefore necessary that all Member States adopt the same
requirements either in addition to or in place of their existing rules, in
order, in particular, to allow the EEC type-approval procedure whichwas the subject of Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 onthe approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (
3), to be introduced in
respect of each type of vehicle;
Whereas in Directive 76/756/EEC (4), the Council laid down the
common requirements for the installation of lighting and light-signallingdevices on motor vehicles and their trailers;
Whereas a harmonized component type-approval procedure for rear fog
lamps makes it possible for each Member State to check compliancewith the common construction and testing requirements and to inform
the other Member States of its findings by sending a copy of the
component type-approval certificate completed for each type of rear foglamp; whereas the placing of an EEC component type-approval mark onall rear fog lamps manufactured in conformity with the approved typeobviates any need for technical checks on these rear fog lamps in theother Member States;
Whereas it is desirable to draft the technical requirements so that they
have the same aim as the work being carried out on the subject in theUN Economic Commission for Europe;
Whereas the approximation of national laws relating to motor vehicles
entails reciprocal recognition by Member-States of the tests carried outby each of them on the basis of the common requirements,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
1. Each Member State shall grant EEC component type-approval for
any type of rear fog lamp which satisfies the construction and testingrequirements laid down in Annexes 0, II and III.
2. The Member State which has granted EEC component type-
approval shall take the measures required in order to verify thatproduction models conform to the approved type, in so far as this is
necessary and if need be in cooperation with the competent authorities in
the other Member States. Such verification shall be limited to spotchecks.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 118, 16. 5. 1977, p. 29.
(2) OJ No C 114, 11. 5. 1977, p. 2.
(3) OJ No L 42, 23. 2. 1970, p. 1.
(4) OJ No L 262, 27. 9. 1976, p. 1.
▼B
Article 2
Member States shall for each type of rear fog lamp which they approve
pursuant to Article 1, issue to the manufacturer, or to his authorizedrepresentative, an EEC component type-approval mark conforming tothe model shown in Annex II.
Member States shall take all appropriate measures to prevent the use of
marks liable to create confusion between rear fog lamps which have
been type-approved pursuant to Article 1, and other devices.
Article 3
1. No Member State may prohibit the placing on the market of rear
fog lamps on grounds relating to their construction or method offunctioning if they bear the EEC component type-approval mark.
2. Nevertheless, a Member State may prohibit the placing on the
market of rear fog lamps bearing the EEC component type-approval
mark which consistently fail to conform to the approved type.
That State shall inform the other Member States and the Commission
forthwith of the measures taken, specifying the reasons for its decision.
Article 4
The competent authorities of each Member State shall within one month
send to the competent authorities of the other Member States a copy ofthe component type-approval certificates, an example of which is given
in Annex I, completed for each type of rear fog lamp which they
approve or refuse to approve.
Article 5
1. If the Member State which has granted EEC component type-
approval finds that a number of rear fog lamps bearing the same EEC
component type-approval mark do not conform to the type which it has
approved, it shall take the necessary measures to ensure that productionmodels conform to the approved type. The competent authorities of thatState shall advise those of the other Member States of the measurestaken which may, where there is consistent failure to conform, extend to
withdrawal of EEC component type-approval. The said authorities shall
take the same measures if they are informed by the competentauthorities of another Member State of such failure to conform.
2. The competent authorities of Member States shall inform each
other within one month of any withdrawal of EEC component type-approval, and of the reasons for such a measure.
Article 6
Any decision taken pursuant to the provisions adopted in implementa-
tion of this Directive, to refuse or withdraw EEC component type-approval for a rear fog lamp or prohibit its placing on the market or useshall set out in detail the reasons on which it is based. Such decisionshall be notified to the party concerned, who shall at the same time beinformed of the remedies available to him under the laws in force in the
Member States and of the time limits allowed for the exercise of such
remedies.
Article 7
No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type-approval or national
type-approval of any vehicle on grounds relating to its rear fog lamps if
these bear the EEC component type-approval mark and are fitted in
accordance with the requirements laid down in Directive 76/756/EEC.
Article 8
No Member State may refuse or prohibit the sale, registration, entry into
service or use of any vehicle on grounds relating to its rear fog lamps if1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 3
▼B
these bear the EEC component type-approval mark and are fitted in
accordance with the requirements laid down in Directive 76/756/EEC.
Article 9
For the purposes of this Directive, ‘vehicle’ means any motor vehicle
intended for use on the road, with or without bodywork, having at least
four wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h, and its
trailers, with the exception of vehicles which run on rails, agricultural orforestry tractors and machinery and public works vehicles.
Article 10
Any amendments necessary to adjust the requirements of the Annexes to
take account of technical progress shall be adopted in accordance withthe procedure laid down in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC.
Article 11
1. Member States shall bring into force the provisions needed in order
to comply with this Directive within 18 months of its notification andshall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
2. Member States shall ensure that the texts of the main provisions of
national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive are
communicated to the Commission.
Article 12
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 4
▼B
LIST OF ANNEXES
ANNEX 0: Definitions, general specifications, intensity of light
emitted, test procedure, heat resistance test, colour
of light emitted, conformity of production
ANNEX I: Model EEC component type-approval certificateANNEX II: EEC component type-approval and marking require-
ments
ANNEX III: Photometric measurements1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 5
▼B
ANNEX 0
DEFINITIONS, GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS, INTENSITY OF LIGHT
EMITTED, TEST PROCEDURE, HEAT RESISTANCE TEST, COLOUR
OF LIGHT EMITTED, CONFORMITY OF PRODUCTION
1. DEFINITIONS
1.1. ‘ Rear fog lamp ’ means the lamp used to render the vehicle more readily
visible from the rear in dense fog.
1.2. ‘ Axis of reference ’ means the characteristic axis of the light signal,
determined by the manufacturer for use as the direction of reference (H =
0º, V = 0º) for photometric measurements and when fitting the lamp on
the vehicle.
1.3. ‘ Centre of reference ’ means the intersection of the axis of reference with
the exterior light-emitting surface, specified by the manufacturer of the
lamp.
1.4. ‘ Exterior light-emitting surface ’, for a defined direction of observation,
means the orthogonal projection of the light-emitting surface on a plane
perpendicular to the direction of observation.
1.5. ‘ Type of rear fog lamp ’ means rear fog lamps which do not differ in such
essential respects as:
1.5.1. the trade name or mark;1.5.2. the characteristics of the optical system;1.5.3. the inclusion of components capable of altering the optical effects by
reflection, refraction or absorption;
1.5.4. the type of filament lamp.
2. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
2.1. Each sample referred to in 1.2.3 of Annex II shall conform to the
specifications set forth in the sections below.
2.2. The rear fog lamps shall be so designed and constructed that under
normal conditions of use, notwithstanding any vibration to which they
may be subjected during such use, their satisfactory operation remains
assured and they retain the characteristics prescribed by this Directive.
3. INTENSITY OF LIGHT EMITTED
3.1. The light emitted by each of the two samples referred to in 1.2.3 of
Annex II, having met the requirements of 5 below, shall be of not less
than the minimum intensity and of not more than the maximum intensity
specified below and shall be measured in relation to the axis of referencein the directions shown below (expressed in degrees from the axis of
reference).
3.2. The intensity along the H and V axes, between 10º to the left and 10º to
the right and between 5º up and 5º down, shall not be less than 150 cd.
The intensity between the axes shall not be less than 75 cd.
3.3. The intensity of the light emitted in all directions in which the light can
be observed shall not exceed 300 cd.
3.4. The exterior light-emitting surface in the direction of the reference axis
shall not exceed 140 cm
2.
3.5. Annex III gives particulars of the measurement methods to be used.
4. TEST PROCEDURE
All measurements shall be carried out with a colourless standard filament
lamp of the type recommended for the rear fog lamp and so regulated as
to produce the normal luminous flux prescribed for this type of lamp.
5. HEAT RESISTANCE TEST
5.1. The lamp shall be subjected to a one-hour test of continuous operation
following a warm-up period of 20 minutes. The ambient temperature
shall be 23 ± 5 ºC. The filament lamp used shall be of the category
recommended for the lamp, and shall be supplied with current at a1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 6
▼B
voltage such that it gives the specified average power at the
corresponding test voltage.
5.2. Where only the maximum power is specified, the test shall be carried out
by regulating the voltage to obtain a power equal to 90 % of the specified
power. The average or maximum power specified above shall in all cases
be chosen from the voltage range of 6, 12 or 24 V at which it reaches the
highest value.
5.3. After the lamp has been stabilized at the ambient temperature, no
distortion, deformation, cracking or colour modification shall be
perceptible.
6. COLOUR OF LIGHT EMITTED
The device must emit a red light. The colour of the light emitted,
measured by using a source of light at a colour temperature of 2 854 K,
corresponding to illuminant A of the International Commission on
Illumination (CIE), must be within the limits of the following
trichromatic coordinates:
limit towards yellow: y ≤0·335
limit towards purple: z ≤0·008.
7. CONFORMITY OF PRODUCTION
Every rear fog lamp being an EEC component type-approval mark must
conform to the type approved and comply with the photometric
conditions specified in 3 and 6. Nevertheless, in the case of a rear fog
lamp picked at random from series production, the requirements as to
minimum intenstiy of the light emitted (measured with a standard
filament lamp as referred to in 4) may be limited in each relevant
direction to 80 % of the minimum value specified in 3.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 7
▼B
ANNEX I
1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 8
▼B
ANNEX II
EEC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL AND MARKING REQUIRE-
MENTS
1. APPLICATION FOR EEC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL
1.1. The application for EEC component type-approval shall be submitted by
the holder of the trade name or mark or by his authorized representative.
1.2. For each type of rear fog lamp, the application shall be accompanied by:1.2.1. a brief technical description stating, in particular, the type(s) of filament
lamp(s) recommended, which must comply with the specifications of
►
C1the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); ◄
1.2.2. drawings, (three copies), in sufficient detail to permit identification of
the type of the rear fog lamp and showing, geometrically, the position in
which the rear fog lamp is to be mounted on the vehicle, the axis of
observation to be taken as the axis of reference in the tests (horizontal
angle H = 0º, vertical angle V = 0º), and the point to be taken as the
centre of reference in the said tests;
1.2.3. two samples; if the rear fog lamp is such that it can be mounted only on
one side of the vehicle, the two samples submitted may be identical and
be suitable for mounting only on the right or only on the left side of the
vehicle;
1.2.4. an additional sample to be kept by the laboratory for any subsequent
verification which may prove necessary.
2. MARKINGS
2.1. The samples of a type of rear fog lamp submitted for EEC component
type-approval must bear:
2.1.1. the trade name or mark of the applicant, which must be clearly legible
and indelible;
2.1.2. a clearly legible and indelible marking indicating the type(s) of filament
lamp(s) recommended;
2.1.3. and incorporate a space large enough to contain the EEC component
type-approval mark, including the additional symbols prescribed in 4;
this space shall be shown in the drawings mentioned in 1.2.2.
3. EEC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL
3.1. If the two samples submitted in accordance with 1.2.3 meet the
requirements of Annexes 0, II and III, EEC component type-approval
shall be granted and a component type-approval number assigned.
3.2. This number shall not be assigned to any other type of rear fog lamp.3.3. Where EEC component type-approval is requested for a type of lighting
and light-signalling device comprising a rear fog lamp and other lamps, a
single EEC component type-approval mark may be issued provided that
the rear fog lamp complies with the requirements of this Directive and
that each of the other lamps forming part of the lighting and light-
signalling device for which EEC component type-approval is requested,
complies with the specific Directive applying to it.
4. MARKS
4.1. Every rear fog lamp conforming to a type approved under this Directive
shall bear an EEC component type-approval mark.
4.2. This mark shall consist of a rectangle surrounding the lower-case letter
‘e’, followed by the distinguishing number or letter(s) of the Member
State which has granted the component type-approval:
1 for Germany,
2 for France,3 for Italy,4 for the Netherlands,
6 for Belgium,
9 for Spain,1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 9
▼A2
▼A2
11 for the United Kingdom,
13 for Luxembourg,
18 for Denmark,
GR for Greece,
IRL for Ireland,
P for Portugal.
It must also include the EEC component type-approval number which
corresponds to the number of the EEC component type-approval
certificate issued for the type of rear fog lamp in question.
4.3. The EEC component type-approval mark shall be supplemented by an
additional symbol ‘F’.
4.4. The EEC component type-approval number must be placed in any
convenient position near the rectangle surrounding the letter ‘e’.
4.5. The EEC component type-approval mark and the additional symbol must
be affixed to the lens of the lamp, or one of the lenses, in such a way as
to be indelible and clearly legible even when the rear fog lamp(s) is (are)
fitted on the vehicle.
4.6. An example of the EEC component type-approval mark and the
additional symbol are shown in Appendix 1.
4.7. Where a single EEC component type-approval number is issued, as
under 3.3, for a type of lighting and light-signalling device comprising a
rear fog lamp and other lamps, one EEC component type-approval mark
only may be affixed, consisting of:
— a rectangle surrounding the letter ‘e’ followed by the distinguishing
letter(s) or number of the Member State which has granted the EEC
component type-approval,
— an EEC component type-approval number,— the additional symbols required by the various Directives under
which EEC component type-approval was granted.
4.8. The dimensions of the various components of this mark shall not be less
than the largest of the minimum dimensions specified for individual
markings by the Directives under which the EEC component type-
approval was granted.
4.9. Examples of the component type-approval mark for a device comprising
several lamps are given in Appendix 2.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 10
▼B
▼B
Appendix 1
Example of an EEC component type-approval mark
The device bearing the EEC component type-approval mark shown above is a rear fog lamp EEC type-
approved in the United Kingdom (e 11) under the number 1471.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 11
▼B
Appendix 2
Example of EEC component type-approval marks
The device bearing the EEC component type-approval mark shown above is a device comprising a
direction indicator lamp in category 2, a stop lamp, a rear position (side) lamp, a reflex reflector in class
I, and a rear fog lamp, EEC type-approved in Belgium (e 6) under the number 270. The arrow shows in
what position this device, which can be mounted only on one side of the vehicle, is to be mounted. The
arrow points towards the front of the vehicle.1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 12
▼B
Examples of the markings on an EEC-type-approved device comprising several lamps
(reciprocally incorporated)
1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 13
▼B
ANNEX III
PHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS
1. During photometric measurements, stray reflections shall be prevented
by appropriate masking.
2. The measurements shall be carried out in such a way as to meet the
following requirements:
2.1. the distance of measurement shall be such that the law of the inverse of
the square of the distance is applicable;
2.2. the measuring equipment shall be such that the angular aperture of the
receiver viewed from the reference centre of the lamp is between 10 ′and
1º;
2.3. the intensity requirement for a particular direction of observation shall be
satisfied if that requirement is met in a direction deviating by not more
than 15′from the direction of observation.
3. The direction H = 0º and V = 0º corresponds to the axis of reference
(which, when the lamp is mounted on the vehicle, must be horizontal,
parallel to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle and oriented in
the required direction of visibility). It passes through the centre of
reference.
3.1. Intensities outside the axes shall be measured within the rhombus
described by the extreme directions of measurement (see diagram
above).1977L0538 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 002.001 — 14