ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(74)2172
Vol.1974/0359

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COMMISSION QETHEEUROPBAN COMMUOTTIES
.COM(74)2172 final
Brussels,20December1974
Proposaifora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
ontheapproximation ofthelawsoftheMember
yStatesrelatingtotowinghooksonmotorvehicles
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
COM(74)2172final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
This proposal for aDirective istoform part of
theCommunity type-approval procedure provided for inCouncil
Directive 70/156/EEC^of6February 1970.
Itconcerns therequirements astotowing hooks on
motor vehicles .
The Commission has decided that vehicles must be
fitted with adevice for the attachment ofatowing bar orcable
since such adevice has proved not only useful butnecessary for
theremoval ofvehicles which have broken down onthepublic
highway .Where such adevice isabsent atthe front ,thetowing
ofvehicles isdelayed and complicated ,and their safety may be
impaired since animprovised fitting (onthebumper barorsome
other part ofthevehicle )candamage thesteering mechanism .
TheCommission has examined with particular attention
theobjections raised asregards thedesirability offitting such
devices totherear ofvehicles .The following objections have
been noted inrespect inparticular ofvehicles incategory M,
s
1.Alarge number ofvehicles are not able totowbyreason of
their relatively low engine power and the lightness oftheir
construction .
2.Inthe case ofvehicles ofintegral construction itisin
general difficult ,forreasons ofconstruction ,toadapt the
towing devices tothebodywork inamanner enabling alternating
forces tobeabsorbed .
3»Certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmission are not
able tobetowed ,oronly incertain circumstances .
^O.J.NO42,23February 1970 .

3
Article 3specifies theprocedure tobefollowed
fortheadaptation totechnical progress oftherequirements
laid down intheAnnex ,which istheprocedure setoutin
Article 13oftheCouncil Directive of6February 1970 on
thetype-approval ofmotor vehicles andtheir trailers .
Article sets two time limits ;before .expiry ofthe
first ,theMember States must adopt andpublish themeasures
necessary forcompliance with thedirective .The second
determines the date onwhich all the Marnber States must
simultaneously apply thecommon rules (Article Zj.(l)).
The Commission must benotified ofall *provisions
which theMember States propose toadopt inthefield covered
bythe Directive insufficient time toenable ittosubmit
comments onsuch draft provisions (Article Zf(2))•
CONSULTATION OFTHE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Theopinion ofthese twoinstitutions isrequired
under thesecond paragraph ofArticle 100 .
•••/• ••

•uw
THECOUNCIL OFtHE'EUROPEAN .COMMUNITIES' J ■
'Having regard' totheTreaty establishing theEuropean
Economic Community ,andinparticular Article 100there of ;
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission ;
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEuropean Parliament }
-Having regard totheOpinion oftheEconomic andSocial
Committee ; :
Whereas thetechnical requirements which motor vehicles must
satisfy pursuant tonational laws relate ,inter alia ,to
towing hooks J•,
Whereas those requirements differ from oneMember State to
another ,andwhereas itistherefore necessary that allof -the
Member States adopt thesame requirements either inaddition
toorinplace oftheir existing requirements inorder ,in
particular ,;toallow theEECtype-approval procedure ,which
wasthesubject ®ftheCouncil Directive of6February 1970
ontheapproximation ofthelaws oftheMember States relating
tothetype-approval ofmotor vehicles andtheir trailers^
tobeapplied inrespect ofeach type ofvehicle ..
Whereas theapproximation ofthelaws oftheMember States
relating tomotor vehicles implies recognition inallMember
States oftheinspections carried out byeach ofthem onthe
basis ofcommon requirements ;whereas ,inorder tofunction
properly ,such asystem must beapplied byallMember States
with effect from the same date :
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
^O.J.NOL42,23February 1970 ,p„1,
•••/*••

5
Article 1
For thepurposes ofthis Directive ,"vehicle "means anymotor
vehicle intended foruse ontheroad ,with orwithout bodywork ,
having atleast four wheels and amaximum design speed exceed­
ing25km/h,with theexception ofvehicles which runonrails ,
agricultural tractors andmachinery andengineering plant .
Article 2
1. NoMember State mayrefuse togrant EECtypo-approval
ofavehicle ongrounds relating totowing hooks ifitstowing
hooks satisfy therequirements setoutintheAnnex .
2. Similarly ,noMember State mayrefuse togrant national
type-approval or,where nosuch approval exists ,refuse the
registration orprohibit the sale ,putting into circulation
oruse ofavehicle onthe grounds orinthecircumstances
specified inparagraph 1.
Article 3
Anyadjustment oftheprovisions contained inthis Directive needed totaks
account oftechnical progress shall beadopted inaccordance
with theprocedure laid down inArticle 13oftheCouncil
Directive of6February 1970 ontheapprsximation ofthelaws
oftheMember States relating tothetype-approval ofmotor
vehicles and their trailers .
Article U
1. TheMember States shall adopt andpublish provisions
containing therequirements needed tocomply with this Directive
before 1April 1976 andshall forthwith inform theCommission
thereof .
They shall apply those provisions with effect from 1October 1976 .
2. Once notification ofthis Directive has been effected ,
theMember States shall ,insufficient time toenable itto
submit its comments ,inform theCommission ofalldraft laws ,
regulations oradministrative provisions which they intend to
adopt inthe field covered bythis Directive .
•••/•••

-'6- '
Article 5
This Directive isaddressed tothe Member States .

ANNEX
Towing hooks
1.1 .Adevice ofadequate size and ease ofaccess for
the attachment ofatowing bar orrod shall be
fitted tothe front ofall vehicles .
1.2 .Vehicles incategory (asdefined inAnnex Ito
Directive No7G/15>6/Z;Jv of6February 1970 ontype-
apprevel )ciUFt ,with theexception ofthose vehicles
not authorized totow aload ,SXFO befir-ted atthe
rear with atewing device asstipulated initem 1.1 .
above .
I«3 .Notowing device roust project beyond theforward ,
rear and side extremities ofthe vehicle .
/