1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of18December 1975
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to statutory plates and inscrip-
tionsformotorvehiclesandtheirtrailers, andtheirlocationandmethodofattachment
(76/114/EEC)
(OJ L 24, 30.1.1976, p. 1)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Directive 78/507/EEC of 19 May 1978 L 155 31 13.6.1978
Amended by:
►A1Act of Accession of Greece L 291 17 19.11.1979
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 56, 4.3.1976, p. 38 (76/114/EEC)
►C2Corrigendum, OJ L 329, 25.11.1982, p. 31 (76/114/EEC)
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COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of18December 1975
on the approximationof the lawsofthe Member States relating to
statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trai-
lers,andtheir locationandmethodofattachment
(76/114/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 statutory plates and
inscriptions, and their location and methods of attachment;
Whereas those requirements differ from one Member State to another;
whereas it is therefore necessary that all Member States adopt the samerequirements either in addition to or in place of their existing rules, in
order, in particular, to allow the EEC type-approval procedure, which
was the subject of Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to thetype-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers(
3), to be applied in
respect of eachtype of veh icle;
Whereas the approximation of national laws relating to motor vehicles
involves the mutual recognition by Member States of the inspectionscarried out by each of them on the basis of common provisions;whereas, for such a system to function successfully, these provisions
must be applied by all Member States witheffect from th e same date,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
For the purposes of this Directive, ‘vehicle’ means any motor vehicle
intended for use on the road, with or without bodywork, having at leastfour wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h, and itstrailers, with the exception of vehicles which run on rails, agricultural
or forestry tractors and machinery, and public works vehicles.
Article 2
No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type-approval or national
type-approval of a vehicle on grounds relating to the statutory platesand inscriptions and their location and method of attachment, if thesesatisfy the requirements set out in the Annex hereto.
Article 3
No Member State may refuse registration or prohibit the sale, entry
into service or use of a vehicle on grounds relating to the statutoryplates and inscriptions and their location and method of attachment, ifthese satisfy the requirements set out in the Annex to this Directive.1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 5, 8. 1. 1975, p. 41.
(2) OJ No C 47, 27. 2. 1975, p. 4.
(3) OJ No L 42, 23. 2. 1970, p. 1.
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Article 4
The amendments necessary to adapt the requirements of the Annex to
technical progress shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure
laid down in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC.
Article 5
1. By 1 January 1977, Member States shall adopt and publish the
provisions necessary to comply with this Directive and shall forthwith
inform the Commission thereof.
They shall implement these provisions with effect from 1 October
1978.
2. After notification of this Directive, Member States shall take
steps to inform the Commission, in sufficient time for it to submit itscomments, of any draft laws, regulations or administrative provisionswhich they intend to adopt in the field covered by the Directive.
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 3
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ANNEX
1. GENERAL
1.1. All vehicles must be provided with the plate and inscriptions described
in the following sections. The plate and inscriptions shall be attached
either by the manufacturer or by his authorized representative.
2. MANUFACTURER'S PLATE
2.1. A manufacturer's plate, modelled on that shown in the appendix hereto,
must be firmly attached in a conspicuous and readily accessible position
on a part not subject to replacement in use. It must show clearly andindelibly the following information in the order listed:
2.1.1. Name of the manufacturer.2.1.2. EEC type-approval number ►
M1(1)◄.
This number is composed of a small letter ‘e’ followed, in the order
given, by the distinguishing number or letters of the country which
granted the EEC type-approval (1 for Germany, 2 for France, 3 for
Italy, 4 for the Netherlands, 6 for Belgium, 11 for the United Kingdom,
►C213◄for Luxembourg, ►M118 for Denmark, ◄IRL for
Ireland►A1, E for Greece ◄) and by the type-approval number
corresponding to the number on the type-approval certificate for the
type of vehicle. An asterisk shall be placed between the letter ‘e’ andthe distinguishing number or letters of the country which granted the
EEC type-approval, and between the distinguishing number or letters
and the type-approval number.
2.1.3. Vehicle identification number.2.1.4. Maximum permitted laden ►
M1mass◄of the vehicle.
2.1.5. Maximum permitted laden ►M1mass◄for the combination, where
the vehicle is used for towing.
2.1.6. Maximum permitted road ►M1mass◄for eachaxle, listed in order
from front to rear.
2.1.7. In the case of a semi-trailer, the maximum permitted ►M1mass◄
on the fifth wheel king pin.
2.1.8. The requirements of 2.1.4 to 2.1.7 shall not enter into force until 12
months have elapsed from the date of adoption of the Council Directive
on►M1masses◄and dimensions of motor vehicles and their trai-
lers. In the meantime, however, a Member State may require that the
maximum permitted ►M1masses◄prescribed in its national legisla-
tion be shown on the plate of any vehicle which has entered into
service in its territory.
If the technically permissible ►M1mass◄is higher than the
maximum permitted ►M1mass◄, the Member State in question
may request that the technically permissible ►M1mass◄also be
stated. The ►M1mass◄would be set out in two columns: the
maximum permitted ►M1mass◄on the left and the technically
permissible ►M1mass◄on the right.
2.2 The manufacturer may give additional information below or to the side
of the prescribed inscriptions, outside a clearly marked rectangle which
shall enclose only the information prescribed in 2.1.1 to 2.1.8 (see the
Appendix to this Annex).
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
The vehicle identification number is a fixed combination of characters
assigned to each vehicle by the manufacturer. Its purpose is to ensure
that every vehicle can be clearly identified over a period of 30 years
through the intermediary of the manufacturer, without there being a
need for reference to further data. The vehicle identification number
must conform to the following requirements:1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 4
(1) If a vehicle has not been given EEC type-approval and therefore does not have an EEC
type approval number, a Member State may require that the national type-approvalnumber be indicated. If a national type-approval number is required to be indicatedthe manufacturer can place it either on a plate separate from the manufacturer's plate
or on the manufacturer's plate itself.
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3.1. It must be marked on the manufacturer's plate, and also on the chassis,
frame or other similar structure.
3.1.1. It must consist of three sections.
3.1.1.1. The first section shall consist of a code assigned to the vehicle manu-
facturer to enable him to be identified. The code shall comprise threecharacters, letters or figures which shall be assigned by the competent
authorities of the country where the manufacturer has his principal
place of business, by agreement withth e international agency acting
under the authority of the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO). The first character shall designate a geographical area, the
second a country within a geographical area, and the third a specific
manufacturer.
Where the manufacturer produces less than 500 vehicles per year, the
third character shall always be ‘9’. In order to identify such manufac-
turers, the competent authority referred to above shall also assign the
third, fourth and fifth characters of the third section.
3.1.1.2. The second section shall be composed of six characters (letters or
figures) which shall serve to indicate the general characteristics of the
vehicle. If the manufacturer does not use one or more of these charac-
ters, the unused spaces must be filled by alphabetical or numerical
characters, of the manufacturer's choice.
3.1.1.3. The third section, composed of eight characters, of which the last four
must be numerical, must in conjunction with the other two sections
provide clear identification of a particular vehicle. Any unused space
must be filled by a zero in order that the total number of characters
required may be fulfilled.
3.1.2. It must wherever possible be marked on a single line.
As an exception, for technical reasons, it may also be marked on two
lines. However, in this latter case no section may be divided between
the two lines. The beginning and end of each line must be indicated
by a symbol which is neither an arabic numeral nor a roman capital
letter, and which cannot be confused with either. This requirement
may be waived in the case of manufacturer's plates where the number
is marked on one line only. It is also permissible to place sucha
symbol between the three sections on one line (point 3.1.1).
There must be no spaces between the characters.
3.2. The identification number must, moreover:
3.2.1. be marked on the chassis, frame or other similar structure, on the right-
hand side of the vehicle;
3.2.2. be placed in a clearly visible and accessible position by a method such
as hammering or stamping, in such a way that it cannot be obliterated
or deteriorate.
4. CHARACTERS
4.1. Roman letters and arabic numerals must be used for all the markings
provided for in sections 2 and 3. However, the roman letters used in
the markings provided for in 2.1.1 and 2.1.3 and 3 must be capital
letters.
4.2. For the vehicle identification number:
4.2.1. use of the letters I, O and Q and dashes, asterisks and other special
signs, other than the symbols referred to in the final paragraph of
3.1.2, is not permitted;
4.2.2. the minimum height of the letters and figures shall be as follows:
4.2.2.1. 7 mm for characters marked directly on the chassis, frame or other
similar structure of the vehicle;
4.2.2.2. 4 mm for characters marked on the manufacturer's plate.1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 5
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▼M1
APPENDIX
MODEL OF THE MANUFACTURER'S PLATE
The examples below do not prejudice the data which are actually to appear on
manufacturers' plates. They are merely given as a guide.
Example No 1
Example as for category M1vehicle.
Additional information as provided for in 2.2 may be given below or to the side
of the prescribed data (see rectangles shown with dotted lines in the above
model).
Example No 2
Example as for category N3vehicle.
Additional information as provided for in 2.2 may be given below or to the side
of the prescribed data (see rectangles shown with dotted lines in the above
model).1976L0114 — EN — 01.01.1981 — 002.001 — 6