COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 05 11.1996 
COM(96) 556 final 
96/0040 (SYN) 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
amending Directive 91/439/EEC 
on driving licences 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
A. On 20 February 1996 the Commission submitted to the Council a proposal for a 
Directive amending Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences (COM(96) 55 final 
- SYN 96/0040 ' ). 
On 24 April 1996 2 the Economic and Social Committee gave a favourable 
opinion. 
On 5 September 1996 the European Parliament gave an opinion on the proposal 
at the first reading. The Commission accepts amendment 1 and takes account, h 
the amended proposal in the annex, of amendment 5, although it is unable to 
accept it in full. 
The Commission has not been able to accept the other amendments tabled by 
Parliament for the following reasons: 
the recital concerning the code of conduct does not relate to any of the 
articles; 
the recital on setting up a European penalty points driving licence system 
and that on mutual recognition of decisions to suspend or withdraw driving 
licences fall outside the proposal remit; 
introducing a universal code 00, without a definition, would run counter 
to the proposal's objective which is to define harmonized codes which 
everyone can easily understand; 
the obligation to subdivide codes before 31 December 1996 does not 
correspond to the content of Article 2 of the Commission proposal. 
According to this provision the task of subdividing codes actually falls on 
the appropriate committee, which must take scientific and technical 
progress into consideration; this also applies after 31.12.1996; 
the amendment concerning the committee's composition and working 
methods is not in line with the provisions of Council Decision 87/373/EEC 
on committee procedure; 
the amendment on mutual recognition of decisions to suspend or withdraw 
driving licences falls outside the proposal remit; 
the amendment on medical standards for driving falls outside the proposal 
remit. 
1 OJNoC 110, 16.4.1996, p. 7. 
2 OJ No C 204, 15.7.1996, p.20. 
B. The Commission thus amends its proposal as follows: 
Amendment 1: addition of the words "and sub-codes" 
Amendment 2: addition of the words: 
02 ... / "communication aid" 
03 ... / "for the limbs" 
70 and 71 ... "(ECE/UN symbol of third country)" 
79 "Restricted to vehicles meeting the specifications set out 
in parentheses, with reference to the application of Article 
10(1) of Directive 91/439/ECE". 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
amending Directive 91/439/EEC 
on driving licences 
The Commission proposal in document COM(96) 55 final - SYN 96/0040 3 is amended 
as follows: 
Text initially proposed by the Amended text 
Commission 
(Amendment 1) 
Recital 3 
Whereas the codes applying to the Whereas the codes and sub-codes 
conditions of issue governed by applying to the conditions of issue 
Directive 91/439/EEC are valid governed by Directive 91/439/EEC are 
throughout the Community; valid throughout the Community; 
3()J NoC 110, 16.4.1996, p. 7. 
Text initially proposed by the Commission Amended text 
(Amendment 2) 
ARTICLE 1 
Annex 1.2, sixth indent 
and Annex la 2.12 (Directive 91/439/EEC) 
- codes 01 to 99 = harmonized Community codes 
01 Eyesight correction 
02 Hearing aid 
03 Prosthesis/Orthosis for the locomotive 
apparatus 
04 Subject to the possession of a valid 
medical certificate 
05 Driving subject to restrictions for medical 
reasons 
10 Modified transmission 
15 Modified clutch 
20 Modified braking systems 
25 Modified accelerator systems 
30 Modified combined braking and 
accelerator systems 
35 Modified control layouts 
40 Modified steering 
42 Modified rear-view mirror(s) 
43 Modified driving seat 
44 Modifications to motorcycles 
45 Motorcycle combinations only 
50 Restricted to a specific vehicle/chassis 
number 
51 Restricted to a specific 
vehicle/registration mark 
55 Combinations of vehicle modifications 
70 Exchange of licence No ... issued by ... 
71 Duplicate of licence No ... 
72 Restricted to category-A vehicles having 
a maximum cylinder capacity of 125 cm3 
and a maximum power of 11 kW (Al) 
73 Restricted to catcgory-B vehicles of the 
motor tricycle or quadricyclc type (Bl) - codes 01 to 99 = harmonized Community codes 
01 Eyesight correction 
02 Hearing aid/communication aid 
03 Prosthesis/Orthosis for the limbs 
04 Subject to the possession of a valid 
medical certificate 
05 Driving subject to restrictions for 
medical reasons 
10 Modified transmission 
15 Modified clutch 
20 Modified braking systems 
25 Modified accelerator systems 
30 Modified combined braking and 
accelerator systems 
35 Modified control layouts 
40 Modified steering 
42 Modified rear-view mirror(s) 
43 Modified driving seat 
44 Modifications to motorcycles 
45 Motorcycle combinations only 
50 Restricted to a specific vehicle/chassis 
number 
51 Restricted to a specific 
vehicle/registration mark 
55 Combinations of vehicle modifications 
70 Exchange of licence No ... issued by ... 
(ECE/UN symbol of third country) 
71 Duplicate of licence No ... (ECE/UN 
symbol of third country) 
72 Restricted to category-A vehicles having 
a maximum cylinder capacity of 125 cm3 
and a maximum power of 11 kW (Al) 
73 Restricted to catcgory-B vehicles of the 
motor tricycle or quadricyclc type (Bl) 
74 Restricted to category-C vehicles, the 
maximum authorized mass of which does 
not exceed 7 500 kg (C1 ) 
75 Restricted to category-D vehicles with 
not more than 16 passenger seats, 
excluding that of the driver (Dl) 
76 Restricted to category-C vehicles of 
which the maximum authorized mass 
does not exceed 7 500 kg (CI), attached 
to a trailer of which the maximum 
authorized mass exceeds 750 kg, 
provided that the maximum mass of the 
vehicle train thus formed does not exceed 
12 000 kg and that the maximum 
authorized mass of the trailer does not 
exceed the unladen mass of the drawing 
vehicle (Cl+E) 
77 Restricted to category-D vehicles with 
not more than 16 passenger seats, 
excluding that of the driver (Dl), 
attached to a trailer the maximum 
authorized mass of which exceeds 
750 kg, provided that (a) the maximum 
authorized mass of the resultant vehicle 
train does not exceed 12 000 kg and that 
the maximum authorized mass of the 
trailer does not exceed the unladen mass 
of the drawing vehicle and (b) the trailer 
is not used to carry passengers (Dl+E) 
78 Restricted to vehicles with an automatic 
transmission (Annexes II, 8.1.1 
Section 2) 74 Restricted to category-C vehicles, the 
maximum authorized mass of which does 
not exceed 7 500 kg (CI) 
75 Restricted to category-D vehicles with 
not more than 16 passenger seats, 
excluding that of the driver (Dl) 
76 Restricted to category-C vehicles of 
which the maximum authorized mass 
does not exceed 7 500 kg (CI), attached 
to a trailer of which the maximum 
authorized mass exceeds 750 kg, 
provided that the maximum mass of the 
vehicle train thus formed does not 
exceed 12 000 kg and that the maximum 
authorized mass of the trailer does not 
exceed the unladen mass of the drawing 
vehicle (Cl+E) 
77 Restricted to category-D vehicles with 
not more than 16 passenger seats, 
excluding that of the driver (Dl), 
attached to a trailer the maximum 
authorized mass of which exceeds 
750 kg, provided that (a) the maximum 
authorized mass of the resultant vehicle 
train does not exceed 12 000 kg and that 
the maximum authorized mass of the 
trailer does not exceed the unladen mass 
of the drawing vehicle and (b) the trailer 
is not used to carry passengers (Dl+E) 
78 Restricted to vehicles with an automatic 
transmission (Annexes II, 8.1.1 
Section 2) 
79 Restricted to vehicles meeting the 
specifications set out in parentheses, with 
reference to the application of Article 
10(1) of Directive 91/439/EEC 
If necessary a subdivision of the codes will be 
defined in line with the provisions of Article 2 of 
this Directive and more particularly with regard to 
codes 04, 05, 44 and 55. A subdivision of the codes will be defined by 31 
December 1996 in line with the provisions of 
Article 2 of this Directive and more particularly 
with regard to codes 04, 05, 44 and 55. 
The remainder of the text is unchanged. 
Done at 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(96) 556 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 07 06 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-560-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-10862-6 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
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