EN Official Journal of the European Union L 81/44

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2005/27/EC

of 29 March 2005

amending, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical progress, Directive 2003/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, concerning the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of devices for indirect vision and of vehicles equipped with these devices

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (1), and in particular Article 13(2) thereof,

Having regard to Directive 2003/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 November 2003 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of devices for indirect vision and of vehicles equipped with these devices, amending Directive 70/156/EEC and repealing Directive 71/127/EEC (2) and in particular Article 2 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Directive 2003/97/EC is one of the separate Directives in the context of the Community type-approval procedure under Directive 70/156/EEC. The provisions of Directive 70/156/EEC relating to systems, components and separate technical units for vehicles therefore apply to Directive 2003/97/EC.

(2) In order to reduce the blind spot of N2 vehicles of mass not exceeding 7,5 tonnes, it is necessary to modify certain requirements laid down in Directive 2003/97/EC.

(3) Since 2003, technical progress with regard to rear view mirrors has advanced considerably. It is now possible to install wide-angle rear-view mirrors on some N2 vehicles of mass not exceeding 7,5 tonnes. It is therefore appropriate to amend Directive 2003/97/EC by extending the obligation to fit Class IV wide-angle mirrors to those vehicles of category N2 having a cabin similar to that of N3 vehicles. The appropriate criterion for distinguishing the two types of N2 vehicles should be whether a class V close-proximity mirror can be fitted.

(4) Vehicles having seats with a fixed seat-back angle would not be able to fulfil the standard requirements. A correction factor for such vehicles should therefore be introduced.

(5) It is also appropriate to amend the administrative provisions for type-approval by introducing the distinguishing numbers of the Member States which acceded to the Community on 1 May 2004.

(6) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress set up under Article 13(1) of Directive 70/156/EEC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

Annexes I and III to Directive 2003/97/EC are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 19 October 2005 at the latest. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions and a correlation table between those provisions and this Directive.

When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 4

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 29 March 2005. For the Commission Günter VERHEUGEN Vice-President

(1) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2004/104/EC (OJ L 337, 13.11.2004, p. 13).

(2) OJ L 25, 29.1.2004, p. 1.