ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)385
Vol.1978/0145

Disclaimer
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)385final.
Brussels,20September1978
Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
on"theapproximation ofthelawsofMemberStatesrelatingtothe
-TowingHooks
-Reverse
onwheeledagricultural orforestrytractors
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
COM(78)385final.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
GENERALREMARKS
ThisproposalforaDirectiveistofox-c;p<>rtoftheCommunity
type-approval procedureprovidedforinCouncilDirective74/l50/EEC
of4March1974(l).
Itconcernstherequirements astotowinghooksandtothe
reverseofwheeledagricultural orforestrytractors.
TheCommission hasdecidedthattractorsmustToefittedwith
adevicefortheattachmentofatowingbarorcablesincesucha
devicehasprovednotonlyuseful "butnecessaryfortheremovalof
vehicleswhichhavebrokendownonthepublichighwayorinthefields.
Wheresuchadeviceisabsentatthefront,thetowingoftractorsis
delayedandcomplicated ,andtheirsafetymaybeimpairedsincean
improvisedfitting(onthebumperbarorsomeotherpartofthevehicle)
candamagethesteeringmechanism.
ThepartconcerningthereverseisbasedontheConvention on
roadtraffic(Vienna,8November1968)whichprovidesonallvehicles
havingamaximumauthorizedweightover300kg.
CMMENTS CNTHEARTICLES
TheDirectiveappliestowheeledagricultural orforestry
tractorshavingamaximumdesignspeedof6-25km/hasalsoprovided
forintheDirectiveontypeapproval(Articlel).
Article2incorporates intheEECtype-approval procedure
t"herequirementsforthetowinghookandtherfeverse.
(I)O.J.N°L84,28.3.1974,p.10.

-2-
SincecertainnewMemberStatesatpresentdonotcarryout
nationaltypeapprovalitisnecessarytodraftprovisionsenabling
tractorscomplyingwiththerequirements oftheDirective(Article3)
\tobeusedinthoseStates.
Artids7providesfortheadaptationoftheDirectiveto
technicalprogress;""lisprocedureisset.outinAx-fc-j.ole13ofthe
CouncilIsireotLvaof4Karob.1974relatingtoiho-fcypaapprovalof
wheslsdagriov.lturalorforestrytractors *
Article5providesthatMemVarStatesmustcciaply -withthe
Pirootiv®withinaperiodof13months(Article -5?par.l).
FinallythaOouiraiesion rousthonotif.iadwithin&reasonable
epaosoftimeofalldraftpx'ovisions dratsnuphjrtheMeafoerStates
inthefieldcoveredbytheDirective ?inordortoenablethe
Commissiontocommentthereon,ifnecessary(Article5?pax**2).
11X0CCgTSUI./TATIgTOFTHEEUROPPAF FARL1AWEK?illDTHIilECCBfC&Tig ANDSOCIAL
CQ4MITTEE
TheOpinionof.thesetwoinstitutions isrequiredunder
Article100,al«2

THECOUNCILCPTHEEUROPEANC(»MUNITIES s
Havingregardtothetreatyestablishing theEurcpcc-nEconomic
Community,andinparticularArticle100thereof,.
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ,
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParliament ,
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEoonomioandSocialCommittee,
Whereasthetechnicalrequirements withwhichtractorsmustcomply
pursuanttonationallawsrelate,interalia,tothetowinghookandthe
reverse.
Whereastheserequirements differfromoneMemberStatetoanother;
whereasitisthereforenecessazythatallMemberStatesadoptthe
samerequirements eitherinadditiontoorinplaceoftheirexisting
rules,inorder,inpartioular ,toallowtheEECtype-approval
procedurewhiohwasthesubjectofthePouncilDirective74/150/eeCof
4March1974ontheapproximation ofthelawsoftheMemberStates
relatingtothetype–approvalofwheeledagricultural orforestiy
tractorstobeappliedinrespectofeachtypeoftractor(l);
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE t
Article1
1."Agricultural orforestrytractor"meansanymotorvehicle,
fittedwithwheelsorcaterpillartracksandha.vingatleasttwo
axles,themainfunctionofwhichliesinitstractivepowerandwhich
isspeciallydesignedtotow,push,carryorpowercertaintools,
machineryortrailersintendedforagricultural orforestryuse0It
maybeequippedtocarryaloadandpassengers -,
2.ThisDirectiveshallapplyonlytotractorsdefinedinthe
precedingparagraphwhicharefittedwithpneumatictyresandwhich
havetv:oaxlesandamaximumdesignspeedofbetween6and25kin/h«
»I©
X3T~OTJ78°L84.?3Earch1974;p,10

3
Article2
NoMemberStatemayrefusetogranEECtype-approval ornational
type-approval ofatractorongroundsrelatingtothetowinghookor
thereverseifthesesatisfytherequirements setoutintheAnnex
hereto.
Article3
IToMemberStatsmayrecusetheregistration orprohibitthesale,entry
intoaervicsorUFSQoftractorsongroundsrelatingtothetowinghook
orthereverseifthesesatisfytherequirements setout.intheAnnex
hereto.
Article4
Theamendmentsnecessaryforadaptingtotechnicalprogressthe
requirements oftheAnnexshallbeadoptedinaccordancewiththe
procedurelaiddowninArticle13ofDirective74/150/ESC.
Article5
1.MemberStatesshallbringintoforcetheprovisionsnecessary
inordertocomplywiththisDirectivewithin18monthsofits
notification andshallforthwithinformtheCommissionthereof.
2.AssoonasthisDirectivehasbeennotified,theMemberStates
shallensurethattheCommissionisinformed,insufficienttimefor
ittosubmititscomments,ofanydraftlaws,regulationsor
administrative provisionswhichtheyintendtoadoptinthefield
coveredbytheDirective.
Article6
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.

rAMEX
TOWINGHOOK
Number
Everytractorshallhaveaspecialdevicetowhichaconneotionsuch
asatow"baroratowropecanbeattachedfortowingpurposes.
Position
Thedeviceshallbefittedtothefrontofthetractor*
Design *
Thedeviceshallbeoftheslottedjawtype*Thefunctional
dimensionsspecifiedmustbeadherredto*--
!'ass:
:•'^:r-T1»
o«* I -tO<01 •_J -
-"'alldimensionsinmm
■;!i
.!■W!■/\M I
jL.JyvQ *•
Thepinshallhaveadiameterof30+1*3(l)andshallbeequipped
withadevicepreventingitfromleavingitsseatingduringuse*
Thesecuringdevioeshallbenon-detachable *'>
•••/•••
(l)Thetoleranceshouldnotberegardedasamanufacturing tolerance
butasapermissiblevariationinnominaldimensionsforpinsof
differentdesigns*

-2- Annex
Thespecifications ofthamaterialsanddimensionsshallbesuca
i;hatthedeviceshallpermitthetractortohetowedwithavery
highsafetycoefficient®
II»REVERSE
Alltractorssuastbe©quipped adeviceforreTsratngwhichcan
fe*o-oeratedfrcm'Shedrivingposition*