Proposal for a Council Directive on registration documents for motor vehicles and their trailers
Date: 1997-05-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: commercial vehicle, harmonisation of standards, motor vehicle, police checks, vehicle registration

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 30.05.1997 
COM(97)  248  final 

97/0150  (SYN) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 

on registration documents for motor vehicles and their trailers 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

A. 

Current situation 

1. 

Registration  documents  for  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers  are  drawn  up  by  the 

Member  States and currently differ  widely from one Member  State to  another.  In 

particular  those  differences  concern  the  number  of  documents  issued,  their 

presentation and their content. 

At  international  level the  only provisions  relating to these  documents  were  drawn 

up  by the  Vienna  Convention  on road  traffic1.  The  aim  of  that  Convention  is  to 

"facilitate  international  road  traffic  and  improve  road  safety  via  the  adoption  of 

uniform  traffic  rules".  Article  35  provides  for  the  minimum  content  of  the 

registration certificate which the driver of a vehicle must bear in order to  engage in 

international  travel.  Even  though  the  registration  certificates  issued  by  the 

Member  States  contain  most  of the basic international-travel  information  required 

by that  Convention,  the  provision  set  out  in Amendment  1, which  took  effect  on 

3 September  1993,  whereby  that  information 

is  identified  by  means  of  an 

alphabetical  code,  is  not  implemented  by  a  significant  majority  of  the  Member 

States. 

It  must  be  noted  in  this  connection  that  Austria,  Belgium,  Denmark, 

Finland,  France,  Germany,  Greece,  Luxembourg  and  Sweden  are  Contracting 

Parties of this Convention, whereas Italy, Portugal,  Spain and the United  Kingdom 

have signed but not ratified  it, and the Community is not a signatory thereto. 

Therefore,  since  (a)  the  1968  Vienna  Convention  only  provides  for  a  minimum 

amount  of  information  to  be  set  out  on  the  certificate  and  (b)  the  alphabetical 

codes  provided  for  by  the  Convention  itself  are  not  used  by  all  of  the  Member 

States,  it  is  appropriate  to  provide  for  harmonized  rules  at  Community  level  in 

l  Convention  on road  traffic,  signed  in Vienna on  8 November  1968, including  amendments  taking 

effect on 3 September  1993.  United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. 

respect  of  the  information  which  the  registration  certificate  is  to  contain.  The 

provisions  of  that  proposal  will  apply  to  the  relations  between  those  Member 

States  who  have  signed  the  Convention.  However,  even  if  there  are  differences 

between the obligations deriving from  the Convention  and the obligations  deriving 

from  the  proposal,  it  should  be  noted  that  the  provisions  of the  Convention  only 

provide  for  the  minimum  amount  of  information  that  is  to  be  entered  in  that 

registration  certificate.  The  Commission  therefore  feels  that  the provisions  of the 

proposal  constitute  further,  additional  data  to  the  minimum  provided  for  by  the 

Convention. 

2. 

The  first  problem  raised  where  registration  documents  are  not  harmonized  is  the 

difficulty  in understanding  those documents which emerges when  a vehicle travels 

on  the  roads  in  a Member  State  other  than  that  of  its  registration.  Indeed,  as  a 

prerequisite  for  allowing  a vehicle  to  travel  on  the  roads  on  their  territory,  all  of 

the  Member  States  require  the  driver  of  a  vehicle  registered  in  another  Member 

State  to  hold  the  corresponding  registration  certification.  For  the  relevant 

authorities  in  the  Member  States  the  inspection  of  non-harmonized  registration 

certificates that have been issued in various languages is currently very complex. 

The  second  problem  arising  is that  under  road  traffic  conditions,  it  is  not  always 

possible  to  check  that  Directive  91/439/EEC  on  driving  licences2  has  been 

implemented.  In order to be able to  check whether  the holder  of a driving  licence 

that  has  been  issued  as  required  by  that  Directive  is  only  driving  the  types  of 

vehicles  thereby  permitted,  the  registration  certificate  must  also  contain  other 

information  such  as  engine  capacity,  power,  power  to  weight  ratio,  number  of 

seats,  ...  The  various  registration  documents  used  in  the  Member  States  do  not 

always contain that  information. 

The  third  problem  raised  arises  from  the  fact  that,  in addition  to  their  use  on  the 

roads,  the  registration  documents  are  also  used  when  a  vehicle  is  registered  in 

another Member  State. 

2  OJ No L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1. 

The  requirement  that  the  information  to  be  set  out  in  the  registration  document 

should  be harmonized  thus enables (a) travel by road within  the Community to  be 

made  easier  and  (b)  the  movement  of vehicles to  be  made  easier  where  a vehicle 

that  had been previously registered  in one Member  State of the Community  has to 

be  registered  in  another  Member  State  following  a  change  in  residence  of  the 

holder,  or a transfer  of the vehicle to a national of a Member  State other than that 

of registration. 

The  existence  of  a  harmonized  document  within  the  Community  enables  vehicle 

registration  procedures  to  be  made  easier,  especially  since  those  procedures 

consist  of  checking  the  documents  issued  by  the  relevant  authorities  in  a 

Community Member  State in order to examine the characteristics of the vehicle.3 

Where  a vehicle is registered  in another  Member  State,  the fourth  question  raised 

concerns the difficulty  in checking the  rightful  ownership  of the vehicle.  For  this 

reason  certain Member  States issue separate registration  documents for  use on the 

roads  or  for  registration  purposes.  When  a  vehicle  is  registered  in  another 

Member  State  the  issue  of  several  registration  documents  or  a  two-part 

registration  certificate  makes  it  easier  to  check  rightful  ownership,  more 

particularly  where  the  applicant  is  not  the  holder  of  the  registration  certificate. 

The  issue  of two  registration  documents  of which  one  is  exclusively  reserved  for 

all  new  registrations  is  the  system  used  in  Germany  and  the  Netherlands,  while 

Belgium  is  currently  examining  the  option  of  issuing  a  registration  certificate  in 

two  separate parts. 

3. 

As  far  as  the  use  of  the  registration  certificate  solely  for  non-foreign  travel  is 

concerned,  certain  Member  States  (Denmark,  Sweden  and  the  United  Kingdom) 

do  not  require  vehicle  drivers  to  carry  the  corresponding  registration  certificate 

with  them.  In  practical  terms  the  relevant  national  authorities  in  those  Member 

States  use  a system  enabling  them  to  have access,  during  roadside  checks,  to  the 

3 

Interpretative  Commission  Communication  No  96/C143/04  on  the  procedures  for  the  approval  and 
registration  of  vehicles  having  previously  been  registered  in  another  Member  State  (OJ  No  C  143, 
15.5.1996, p. 4). 

national  registration database which, inter alia,  contains all of the information  set 

out in the registration certificate.  In this case the use of the registration  certificate 

is  restricted  to  driving  on  the  roads  of  the  other  Member  States,  or  to 

reregistering.  Indeed,  the  Commission  feels  that  in those  Member  States  where 

there is provision for accessing the national registration database, this also enables 

the Directive 91/439/EEC checks to be carried out and that therefore these  States 

may restrict  themselves  to  issuing  the  registration  certificate  in the  form  of  only 

one of the parts provided for by the Annex. 

B. 

Aims of the proposal for a directive 

The proposal for a directive harmonizes the documents issued by the Member States when 

motor vehicles and their trailers are registered.  The aim of that harmonization is to: 

•  make it easier to use vehicles registered in one Member State on the roads of the other 

«Member  States  by  making  it  simpler  for  the  relevant  national  authorities  to  check 

registration certificates; 

•  to  enable  the  implementation  of  Directive  91/439/EEC  on  driving  licences  to  be 

verified by means of roadside checks; 

•  to improve the functioning of the internal market by making it easier to understand the 

registration documents where a vehicle has been registered in another Member State; 

•  to  improve  the  functioning  of  the  internal  market  by  making  it  easier  to  check  the 

rightful  ownership of a vehicle where this has been registered in another Member State. 

C. 

Justification  with regard to the principle of subsidiarity 

(a)  What are the aims of the action contemplated as compared with the  Community's 

obligations? 

Harmonization of the registration documents for motor vehicles and their trailers is 

intended to make travel by road easier within the Community, to boost road safety 

and to improve the functioning of the internal market. 

(b) 

Does  the intended action fall  exclusively within the powers  of the Community or 

of powers  shared with the Member States? 

Shared powers 

Article 75(1) d). 

(C)  What is the Community extent of the problem  (for example how many States are 

involved and what solution has been supplied so far)? 

All  of  the  Member  States  are  involved.  The  registration  certificates  currently 

issued by the Member States do not in all cases permit: 

•  easy  roadside  checking  of their content  in a Member  State  other  than that  of 

registration; 

•  roadside  checking  of  compliance  with  Directive  91/439/EEC  on  driving 

licences; 

•  easy  comprehension  of  their  content  where  a vehicle  is  registered  in  another 

Member State; 

•  checking  of  the  rightful  ownership  of  a  vehicle  that  has  been  registered  in 

another Member State. 

(d)  What is  the most effective option as  compared with the Commission's resources 

and those of the Member States? 

Action  at  Community  level  is  essential  in  order  to  guarantee  that  registration 

certificates  are  hamonized  throughout  the  Member  States,  more  particularly  as 

regards the use of the alphabetic  code to identify  the basic information.  It is also 

essential  in  order  to  guarantee  that  the  registration  certificates  issued  by  the 

Member  States  contain  the  basic  information  that  is  essential  for  being  able  to 

conduct  roadside  checks  on  compliance  with  Directive  91/439/EEC  on  driving 

licences. 

(e)  What would be the practical  contribution of the intended Community action and 

what would be the cost of inaction? 

For the  Community this proposal  would  provide the  registration  documents with 

the further clarity needed during journeys in another Member State and which, in 

addition,  would  make  it  easier  to  register  vehicles  that  had  previously  been 

registered  in  another  Member  State.  That  proposal  would  enable  it  to  be 

guaranteed that registration documents contained the minimum of information that 

is  essential  in  road  traffic. 

If  there  were  no  action  the  existence  of  differing, 

inadequately  harmonized  registration  documents  could  not  enable  it  to  be 

guaranteed  that  those  documents  contained  all  of the  essential  basic  information 

and  that  this  was  provided  with  the  minimum  of  clarity  needed  for  their 

comprehension  both  in  road  traffic  and  in order to  register  a vehicle  in  another 

Member State. 

(f) 

What forms  of  action  are  open  to  the  Community (recommendation,  financial 

support, regulation, mutual recognition,  ...)? 

A  directive  is  considered  to  be  the  best  means  of  harmonizing  the  registration 

documents issued by Member States in order to restrict that harmonization to the 

basic  essential  information  while  enabling  the  Member  States  to  add  any  other 

information  that  they  consider  necessary.  A  regulation  would  not  allow  that 

approach to be maintained.  A recommendation would seem to be inadequate since 

it  is  not  legally  binding. 

In  itself financial assistance  would  not  enable  the 

problems linked with the lack of document harmonization to be solved. 

(g) 

Are uniform regulations necessary or is it sufficient for  a directive  to set general 

aims and transfer their implementation to the Member States? 

The  Commission's  aim  is  to  harmonize  registration  certificates  by  providing  the 

information  needed 

for 

the 

roadside 

checking  of 

compliance  with 

Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences while providing for the issue of a second 

part  of  the  registration  certificate  that  is  needed  in order to  register  a vehicle in 

another Member State. 

D. 

Consistency with other Community  policies or activities 

Since  the  registration  certificate  and/or  other  documents  issued  when  a  vehicle  is 

registered  are  required  in  order  to  be  able to  register  a  vehicle  that  has  previously  been 

registered  in  another  Member  State,  harmonization  of  the  registration  documents  would 

make  it  easier  for  the  national  administrations  to  register  vehicles  and  thus  the  internal 

market for vehicles to  function. 

E. 

Content of the proposal 

Article .1 determines the scope of this proposal. 

Article 2 defines the following terms: 

-  motor vehicle 

- 

trailer 

- 

registration 

- 

registration  certificate. 

The  definitions  of  motor  vehicle  and  trailer  are  in  line  with  the  definitions  used  in 

Community  law  on  the  approval  of  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers  i.e.  Directive 

70/156/EEC as amended by Directive 92/53/EEC, and Directive 92/61/EEC. 

Article 3(1) provides for the issue of a two-part  registration  certificate. 

Article  3(2)  gives  those  Member  States  in which  it  is  possible  to  access  a  national  data 

base  during  roadside  checks  the  option  solely  of  issuing  the  registration  document  in 

Part I. 

Indeed,  since  this  is  a  system  which  enables  compliance  to  be  ensured  with 

Directive 91/439/EEC,  the  issue  of  just  one  part  of  the  registration  certificate  is  only 

justified  for  road journeys in other Member States. 

Article  3(3)  is  intended  to  guarantee  that  documents  issued  by  one  Member  State  are 

returned to that  State if a vehicle is registered in another Member State. 

Article 4 establishes the principle of mutual recognition of registration  certificates. 

Article  5(1)  enables  the  Member  States  to  require  the  first  part  of  the  registration 

certificate  where a vehicle is used on the roads. 

Article 5(2) guarantees that the second part of the registration  certificate  is needed  where 

a vehicle is reregistered,  provided that the preceding registration certificate  is in two parts. 

Article 6 and 7 provide that a Committee shall .adapt the annexes to technical progress, i.e. 

the provisions concerning the registration  certificate. 

Articles  8,  9,  10,  11  and  12  contain  provisions  concerning  the  transposition  of  this 

Directive into the national laws. 

Annex I contains the provisions concerning the content  of the first part of the  registration 

certificate: 

1.  maximum dimensions; 

2.  minimum anti-tampering  protection; 

3.  the option of issuing documents with several pages; 

4.  the common form  taken by the document in order to make it easier to identify  this as a 

Part-I registration certificate,  a form which also includes the document  number in order 

likewise to facilitate the exchange of information  between the Member States; 

5.  the  minimum  mandatory  amount  of information  contained  in Part  I of the  registration 

certificate,  identified  by a common  code,  and  which  contains  the  data  required  by  the 

Vienna  Convention  (A-H), the  date  of registration  (I),  the  type-approval  number  (M) 

and  the  information  that  is  essential  for  roadside  checks  on  the  implementation  of 

Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences; 

6.  the optional information  which nevertheless must be identified  by a common code; 

7.  the optional information  not identified  by a common code. 

Annex II contains provisions concerning the content  of the second part  of the  registration 

certificate: 

1.  maximum dimensions; 

2.  minimum anti-tampering protection; 

3.  the option of issuing documents with several pages; 

4.  the common form taken by the document in order to make it easier to  identify  this as a 

Part-II  registration  certificate,  a  form  which  also  includes  the  document  number  in 

order likewise to facilitate the exchange of information  between the Member States; 

5.  the minimum mandatory  amount  of information  contained  in Part  II  of the  registration 

certificate,  identified  by  a  common  code,  and  identical  to  that  in  Part  I  of  the 

registration,  certificate,  and  which  includes  the  data  that  are  intended  to  identify  the 

vehicle, its type-approval and its registration; 

6.  the optional information which nevertheless must be identified  by a common code. 

7.  the optional information  not identified  by a common code. 

10 

PROPOSAL 

FOR A COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE 

on the registration documents for motor vehicles and their trailers 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 

Article 75.1(d) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;4 

Acting  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  laid  down  in  Article  189c  of  the  Treaty,  in 

cooperation with the European Parliament;5 

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee;6 

Whereas  the  Community  has adopted  a certain  number  of  measures  that  are  intended  to 

create  an  internal  market  consisting  of  an  area  without  frontiers  within  which  the  free 

movement  of goods,  persons,  services  and  capitals  is guaranteed  in  accordance  with  the 

provisions of the Treaty; 

Whereas, as a necessary condition for  permission to use the roads on their territory,  all of 

the Member  States shall require drivers of vehicles registered  in another Member  State to 

hold the corresponding  certificate  of registration; 

Whereas harmonization of the form and content of the registration  certificate  will  facilitate 

its  comprehension  and  thus  help  towards  the  free  movement,  on  the  roads  in  the  other 

Member  States, of vehicles registered in a Member State; 

11 

Whereas  the  content  of the  registration  certificate  must  enable  it to  be  checked  that  the 

holder  of  a  driving  licence  issued  in  pursuance  of  Directive 91/439/EEC  on  driving 

licences;7  solely  drives  those  categories  of vehicles  for  which  he  is  authorized,  and  thus 

helps to improve road  safety; 

Whereas,  as  a  necessary  prerequisite  for  registering  a  vehicle  that  has  previously  been 

registered  in  another  Member  State,  all  of  the  Member  States  require  the  documents 

certifying  that registration and the technical conformity  of the vehicle; 

Whereas  harmonization  of  the  presentation  of the  contents  of  the  registration  certificate 

will  facilitate  the  registration  of vehicles  that  have  previously  been  registered  in  another 

Member  State, and will contribute to the proper functioning  of the Internal Market; 

Whereas  issuing  a registration  certificate  in two  parts,  of which the  second  is  exclusively 

used  in order  to register  a vehicle, will make it easier to  check the rightful ownership  of a 

vehicle, and will thus help to improve the functioning  of the Internal Market; 

Whereas  certain  Member  States  operate  a  system  of  roadside  checks  that  are  based  on 

direct  access  to  the  national  registration  data  base  which  does  not  make  it  essential,  for 

the  purposes  of  ensuring,  inter  alia,  compliance  with  Directive 91/439/EEC  on  driving 

licences,  that  the  driver  of  a  vehicle  registered  in  that  Member  State  shall  carry  the 

registration  certificate  on board  the vehicle;  whereas therefore  the issue  of a  registration 

certificate  in those Member  States may be restricted  to just  one of the two  parts  of which 

the certificate  consists; 

7  OJL  237, 24.8.1991, p. 1. 

12 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

Article 1 

This  Directive  shall  apply  to  the  documents  issued  by the  Member  States  at  the  time  of 

registration of motor vehicles and their trailers, as defined  in Article 2. 

Article 2 

For the purposes of this Directive: 

"motor vehicle": 

means  any.power-driven  vehicle  as  defined  in  Article  1 

and 

in  Annex  II  A  to  Directive  70/156/EEC,  as 

amended,8 and in Article 1 of Directive 92/61/EEC. 

"trailer": 

means a non-self-propelled  vehicle which  is designed  and 

constructed to be towed by a motor vehicle 

"registration": 

means  the  issuing  to  a  vehicle  by 

the  competent 

authorities  of  a  Member  State  of  a  serial  number,  to  be 

known  as  the  registration  number,  that  is  intended  to 

identify  a vehicle and its holder in road  traffic. 

"registration certificate":  means  the  document  which  certifies  that  the  vehicle  is 

registered in a Member State. 

8  Directive 92/53/EEC of 18.6.1992, OJ No L 225, 10.8.1992, p. 1 

13 

Article 3 

(1) 

At the time of registration  of a motor vehicle or a trailer Member  States shall issue 

a registration  certificate  consisting of two parts in accordance with the models  set 

out in Annexes I and II. 

(2)  Member  States may issue a registration certificate  consisting solely of part  I of the 

model  set  out  in Annex I where vehicles are used  on their  national territory,  if,  in 

the  event  of a roadside check,  they have in their  possession  a system  of  access  to 

the registry of vehicles. 

(3)  Where  a  motor  vehicle  or  a  trailer  previously  registered  in  one  Member  State  is 

reregistered  in  another  Member  State,  the  competent  authorities  in  that  Member 

State shall return the registration  certificate  to the authorities in the Member  State 

in which it was issued. 

Article 4 

For  the  purposes  of this Directive,  the  registration  certificate  issued  by  a  Member  State 

shall be recognised by the other Member States. 

Article 5 

(1) 

For  the  purposes  of  identifying  a  vehicle  and  its  holder  in  road  traffic,  Member 

States  may require that  the  driver  of  a vehicle  carries  part  I  of the  corresponding 

registration  certificate. 

(2) 

At the time of registration of a vehicle previously registered in another Member 

State, Member  States shall require that the holder of a registration  certificate 

submits both part I and part II of the registration certificate,  if both parts were 

issued in the Member State of registration. 

14 

Article 6 

Any  amendments  necessary  in  order  to  adapt  the  annexes  to  technical  progress  shall  be 

adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 7. 

Article 7 

(1) 

The  Commission  shall  be  assisted  by  the  Committee  provided  for  in  Council 

Directive  96/.../EC  for  the purpose  of amending  Directive-91/439/EEC  on  driving 

licences,  hereinafter  referred  to  as  "the  Committee",  which  shall  consist  of 

representatives  of the Member  States with  a representative  of the  Commission  as 

Chairman. 

(2) 

The representative  of the Commission  shall submit to the Committee  a draft  of the 

measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft  within a 

time  limit  which  the  Chairman  may  lay  down  according  to  the  urgency  of  the 

matter.  The  opinion  shall  be  delivered  by  the  majority  laid  down  in  Article  148, 

paragraph 2, of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required  to 

adopt  on a proposal from the Commission.  The votes of the representatives  of the 

Member  States  within  the  Committee  shall  be  weighted  in the  manner  set  out  in 

that Article. The Chairman shall not vote. 

(3) 

The Commission  shall adopt measures which apply immediately.  However,  if these 

measures  are  not  in accordance  with  the  opinion  of the  Committee,  they  shall  be 

communicated  by the Commission to the Council  forthwith. 

(4) 

In that  event,  the Commission  shall defer  application  of the measures  which  it  has 

decided  to  adopt  for  a period  to  be  laid  down  in  each  instrument  adopted  by  the 

Council,  but  which  may  in  no  case  exceed  three  months  from  the  date  of 

communication. 

The Council, acting by a qualified  majority,  may take a different  decision within the time 

limit referred  to in the previous paragraph. 

15 

Article 8 

(1) 

After  consulting  the  Commission,  Member  States  shall,  before  [1  July  1998/, 

adopt  the laws, regulations or  administration  provisions necessary to  comply with 

this Directive as from [1 July 1999]. 

(2)  When  Member  States adopt  these measures,  they  shall contain  a reference  to  this 

Directive  or  shall  be  accompanied  by  such  reference  on  the  occasion  of  their 

official  publication. The methods of making such a reference  shall be laid down by 

the Member States. 

(3) 

The  Member  States  shall  communicate  to  the  Commission  the  texts  of  the 

provisions of national law which they adopt  in the field governed by this Directive, 

and  the  models  for  registration  certificates  adopted  in  conformity  with  the 

provisions of Annexes I and II. 

Article 9 

Member  States shall lay down the system of penalties for breaching the national  provisions 

adopted pursuant to this Directive and shall take all the measures necessary to  ensure that 

those  penalties  are  applied.  The  penalties  thus  provided  for  shall  be  effective, 

proportionate  and dissuasive. Member  States  shall notify  the  Commission  of the  relevant 

provisions not later than  [1 July  1998] and shall notify  any subsequent  changes as soon  as 

possible. 

Article 10 

The  Member  States  shall  assist  one  another  in  the  implementation  of  this  Directive  and 

shall,  if  need  be,  exchange  information  on  the  registration  certificates  that  they  have 

issued. 

16 

Article 11 

This Directive shall enter into force on the day following its publication. 

Article 12 

This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels, 

ANNEX I 

PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION  CERTIFICATE 

PARTI 

(1) 

The  overall  dimensions of part  I of the registration  certificate  shall not  be  greater 

than an A4 format  (210 x 297 mm). 

(2) 

The  paper  used  for  part  I  of  the  registration  certificate  shall  be  made  secure  by 

using at least two of the following techniques: 

-  graphics; 

-  watermark; 

- 

- 

fluorescent fibres; or 

fluorescent  imprints. 

(3) 

Part  I  of the  registration  certificate  may  consist  of  several  pages.  Member  States 

shall determine the number of pages in accordance with the information  contained 

in the document and its layout. 

(4) 

The first page of part I of the registration certificate  shall contain: 

- 

the name of the Member State issuing part I of the registration  certificate; 

- 

the  distinguishing  mark  of the  Member  State  issuing  part  1 of the  registration 

certificate, those marks shall be as follows: 

B 

Belgium 

DK 

Denmark 

I 

L 

Italy 

Luxembourg 

D 

Germany 

NL 

Netherlands 

GR 

Greece 

P 

Portugal 

E 

Spain 

A 

Austria 

18 

F 

France 

FIN 

Finland 

IRL 

Ireland 

S 

Sweden 

UK 

United Kingdom 

- 

the name of the competent authority; 

- 

the  words  "Part  I  of the  Registration  Certificate",  printed  in  large  type  in  the 

language or languages of the Member  States issuing the registration  certificate; 

they  shall  also  appear,  after  a  suitable  space,  in  small  type,  in  the  other 

languages of the European Community; 

- 

the words "European  Community",  printed in the language or languages  of the 

Member State issuing part I of the registration  certificate; 

- 

the number of the document. 

V. 

Part  I of the registration  certificate  shall also contain the following  data,  identified 

by the corresponding code: 

A  - 

registration number 

B  - 

date of first registration 

C  - 

holder of the registration  certificate: 

CI  - 

surname 

C2 -  other names 

C3 - 

address in the Member  State of registration  on the date  of issue of 

the document 

D  - 

vehicle: 

Dl  -  manufacturer/trade  name 

D2 - 

commercial name 

19 

E  - 

vehicle identification number 

F  -  maximum laden mass: 

Fl  - 

technically permissible mass (in kg) except for motorcycles 

G  -  mass of the vehicle with bodywork,  and with coupling device in the case of 

a towing vehicle,  in running order (in kg) 

H  - 

validity of the registration, if not unlimited 

I  - 

date of registration 

M - 

type-approval number 

R  - 

engine 

Rl  - 

capacity (in cm3) for motorcycles 

R2 -  maximum net power (in kW) for motorcycles 

S  - 

power/weight ratio (in kW/kg): R2/G for motorcycles 

U  - 

number of seats, including the driver 

VI. 

Part  I  of  the  registration  certificate  may,  moreover,  contain  the  following  data, 

identified by the corresponding code: 

F  -  maximum laden mass: 

F2 - 

of the vehicle in service in the Member State of registration (in kg) 

F3 - 

of  the combination  in service  in the Member  State  of  registration 

(in kg) 

20 

J  - 

owner or keeper of the vehicle: 

Jl  - 

surname 

J2 - 

other names 

J3 - 

address in the Member State of registration,  on the date of issue of 

the document 

L  - 

veidcle category 

M  - 

type-approval number 

N  - 

number of axles 

O  -  wheelbase (in mm) 

P  - 

distribution  of  technically-permissible  maximum  laden  mass  among  the 

axles: 

P I- 

axle 1  (in kg) 

P2 - 

axle 2 (in kg) 

P3 - 

axle 3 (in kg) 

Q  - 

technically permissible maximum towable mass of the trailer: 

Ql  -  braked (in kg) 

Q2 -  unbraked (in kg) 

R  - 

engine: 
Rl  -  maximum capacity (in cm3) 

R2 -  maximum net power (in kW) 
rated speed (in  minl) 

R3 - 

R4 - 

fuel 

T  - 

colour of the vehicle 

21 

V  -  maximum speed (in km/h) 

W  - 

sound level: 

Wl  -  stationary (in dB(A)) 

W2 -  engine speed (in min"1) 

W3-  drive-by (in dB(A)) 

X  - 

exhaust emissions: 

XI  -  CO (in g/km or g/kWh) 

X 2-  HC(ing/kmorg/kWh) 

X3 -  NOx (in g/km or g/kWh) 

X4-HC + NOx(ing/km) 

X5 -  particulates for diesel (in g/km or g/kWh) 

X6 - 

corrected absorption coefficient  for diesel (in m"1) 

X7 - C02 (in g/km) 

X8 - combined fuel consumption (in 1/100 km) 

•' • 

Y  - 

fuel tank(s) capacity (in 1). 

VII.  Member  States  may include  additional  information  on  the  registration  certificate 

part I, only if this information is either stated on the type-approval  documentation 

in  accordance  with  Directive  70/156/EEC  or  can  be  derived  from  it  by  simple 

calculation. 

22 

ANNEX H 

PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE 

PARTII 

(1) 

The overall dimensions of part II of the registration certificate shall not be greater 

than an A4 format (210 x 297 mm). 

(2) 

The paper used for  part II of the registration  certificate  shall be made secure by 

using at least two of the following techniques: 

-  graphics; 

-  watermark; 

-  fluorescent fibres; or 

-  fluorescent imprints. 

(3) 

Part II of the registration certificate  may consist of several pages. Member States 

shall determine the number of pages in accordance with the information  contained 

in the document and its layout. 

(4) 

The first page of part II of the registration certificate shall contain: 

- 

the name of the Member State issuing part II of the registration certificate; 

- 

the distinguishing mark of the Member State issuing part II of the registration 

certificate, those marks shall be as follows: 

B 

Belgium 

DK  Denmark 

I 

L 

Italy 

Luxembourg 

D 

Germany 

NL  Netherlands 

GR  Greece 

P 

Portugal 

23 

E 

F 

Spain 

France 

A 

Austria 

FIN  Finland 

IRL 

Ireland 

S 

Sweden 

UK  United Kingdom 

-  the name of the competent authority; 

- 

the words "Part II of the Registration  Certificate",  printed in large type in the 

language or languages of the Member States issuing the registration  certificate; 

they  shall  also  appear,  after  a  suitable  space,  in  small  type,  in  the  other 

languages of the European Community; 

- 

the words "European Community", printed in the language or languages  of the 

Member State issuing part II of the registration certificate; 

-  the number of the document. 

V. 

Part II of the registration certificate shall also contain the following data,  identified 

by the corresponding code: 

A  - 

registration number 

B  - 

date of first registration 

D  - 

vehicle: 

Dl  -  manufacturer/trade name 

D2 - 

commercial name 

E  - 

vehicle identification number 

M  - 

type-approval number 

24 

VI. 

Part  II of the registration  certificate  may,  moreover,  contain  the  following  data, 

identified by the corresponding code: 

J  - 

owner or keeper of the vehicle: 

Jl  - 

surname 

J2 - 

other names 

J3 - 

address in the Member State of registration, on the date of issue of 

.  the document 

K  - 

new owner or keeper of the vehicle 

Kl  - 

surname 

K2 -  other names 

K3 -  address 

K4 -  date and signature of the former owner or keeper 

L  - 

vehicle category 

VII.  Member  States may include  additional  information  on  the  registration  certificate 

part II, only if this information is either stated on the type-approval  documentation 

in  accordance  with  Directive  70/156/EEC  or  can  be  derived  from  it  by  simple 

calculation. 

25 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(97) 248  filial 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

07  06 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-97-238-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-20142-1 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg 

t£