Commission Directive 1999/55/EC of 1 June 1999 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 77/536/EEC relating to the roll-over protection structures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1999-06-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural vehicle, speed control, technical regulations, tractor

L 146/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 6. 1999

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 1999/55/EC

of 1 June 1999

adapting to technical progress Council Directive 77/536/EEC relating to the
roll-over protection structures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 74/150/EEC of 4
March 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to the type-approval of wheeled
agricultural or forestry tractors (1), as last amended by
Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council (2), and in particular Article 11 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 77/536/EEC of 28
June 1977 on the approximation of
the
Member States relating to the roll-over protection struc-
tures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (3), as last
amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and
Sweden, and in particular Article 11 thereof,

the laws of

(1) Whereas, in order to improve safety in the face of
the growing variety of
tractors on the market,
provisions are now required to ensure equal treat-
ment for tractors with a reversible driving position,
that is to say, having a reversible seat and steering
wheel designed to increase operational versatility
and improve the supervision of implements;

(2) Whereas the arrangements for

testing roll-over
protection structures should be harmonised with
the arrangements defined in code 3 of the Organ-
isation for Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment (OECD) for the official testing of protection
structures for agricultural tractors (dynamic tests);

(3) Whereas

in this
the measures provided for
Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the
Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress
established by Article 12 of Directive 74/150/EEC,

(1) OJ L 84, 28.3.1974, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 277, 10.10.1997, p. 24.
(3) OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 1.

Article 1

Annexes I, II and III to Directive 77/536/EEC are hereby
amended as shown in the Annex hereto.

Article 2

1.
From 1 July 2000, Member States may not:
 refuse to grant EC type-approval, to issue the docu-
ment provided for in the third indent of Article 10(1)
of Directive 74/150/EEC, or to grant national type-
approval, in respect of any type of tractor, or

 prohibit the entry into service of tractors,

the tractors in question meet

if
Directive 77/536/EEC as amended by this Directive.

the requirements of

From 1 January 2001, Member States:

2.
 may no longer issue the document provided for in the
third indent of Article 10(1) of Directive 74/150/EEC
in respect of any type of tractor which does not meet
the
77/536/EEC as
of Directive
amended by this Directive,

requirements

 may refuse to grant national type-approval in respect
of a type of tractor which does not meet the require-
ments of Directive 77/536/EEC, as amended by this
Directive.

Article 3

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regu-
lations and administrative provisions necessary to comply
with this Directive by 30 June 2000 at the latest. They
shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

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 publi-
cation. Member States shall determine how such reference
is to be made.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commis-
sion the text of the main provisions of national law that
they adopt in the field governed by this Directive.

11. 6. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 146/29

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.

Article 4

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 5

Done at Brussels, 1 June 1999.

For the Commission

Martin BANGEMANN

Member of the Commission

L 146/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 6. 1999

ANNEX

Annexes I, II and III to Directive 77/536/EEC are amended as follows:

1. in Annex I, item 2.2, the following third indent is added:

‘ as regards tractors with a reversible driving position (i.e. with a reversible seat and steering wheel) or
fitted with optional seats, only the testing method described in part B of Annex III shall apply.';

2. in Annex II, the following item 3.1.1.5 is added:

‘3.1.1.5. In the case of a tractor with a reversible driving position (i.e. with a reversible seat and steering
wheel), the first impact shall be longitudinal and shall be applied at the heaviest extremity (with
more than 50 % of the mass of the tractor). It shall be followed by a crushing test at the same
extremity. The second impact shall be on the lightest extremity, and the third impact shall be from
the side. Lastly, a second crushing test shall be carried out on the lightest extremity.';

3. Part B of Annex III is amended as follows:

(a) the following text is added at the end of the second paragraph of item 1.3.1:

‘In the case of a tractor with a reversible driving position (i.e. with a reversible seat and steering wheel),
the point of impact shall be determined in relation to the intersection of the median plane of the
tractor and of a plane perpendicular to it, by a straight line passing through a point that is equidistant
from the two seat reference points.';

(b) the following items 2.2.11, 2.2.12 and 2.2.13 are added:

‘2.2.11. In the case of a tractor with a reversible driving position (i.e. with a reversible seat and steering
wheel), the clearance shall be a combination of the two clearances determined by the two
positions of the steering wheel and seat.

2.2.12. In the case of a tractor which can be fitted with optional seats, the tests shall be based on the
combined clearance of the seat reference points for all available seat-fitting options. The
roll-over protection structure must not enter the combined clearance around the various seat
reference points.

2.2.13. Where a new option for the seat is proposed after the test has taken place, a calculation is made
to determine whether the clearance around the new seat reference point is located entirely
within the combined clearance established previously. If this is not the case, a new test is
required.'