Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for two- or three-wheel motor vehicles (Codified version)
Date: 2006-09-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approval, codification of EU law, marketing standard, motor vehicle, technical standard, two-wheeled vehicle, vehicle parts

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 28.9.2006 
COM(2006) 556 final 

2006/0175 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for two- or three-wheel motor 
vehicles 

(Codified version) 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

In  the  context  of  a  people’s  Europe,  the  Commission  attaches  great  importance  to 
simplifying  and  clarifying  Community  law  so  as  to  make  it  clearer  and  more 
accessible to the ordinary citizen, thus giving him new opportunities and the chance 
to make use of the specific rights it gives him. 

This aim cannot be achieved so long as numerous provisions that have been amended 
several times, often quite substantially, remain scattered, so that they must be sought 
partly  in  the  original  instrument  and  partly  in  later  amending  ones.  Considerable 
research work, comparing many different instruments, is thus needed to identify the 
current rules. 

For  this  reason  a  codification  of  rules  that  have  frequently  been  amended  is  also 
essential if Community law is to be clear and transparent. 

On  1  April  1987  the  Commission  therefore  decided1  to  instruct  its  staff  that  all 
legislative acts should be codified after no more than ten amendments, stressing that 
this  is  a  minimum  requirement  and  that  departments  should  endeavour  to  codify  at 
even  shorter  intervals  the  texts  for  which  they  are  responsible,  to  ensure  that  the 
Community rules are clear and readily understandable. 

The  Conclusions  of 
the  Edinburgh  European  Council 
(December 1992) confirmed this2, stressing the importance of codification as it offers 
certainty as to the law applicable to a given matter at a given time. 

the  Presidency  of 

Codification  must  be  undertaken  in  full  compliance  with  the  normal  Community 
legislative procedure. 

Given  that  no  changes  of  substance  may  be  made  to  the  instruments  affected  by 
codification, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have agreed, 
by  an  interinstitutional  agreement  dated  20  December  1994,  that  an  accelerated 
procedure may be used for the fast-track adoption of codification instruments. 

is 

this  proposal 

to  undertake  a  codification  of  Council 
The  purpose  of 
Directive 93/29/EEC of 14 June 1993 on the identification of controls, tell-tales and 
indicators for two- or three-wheel motor vehicles3. The new Directive will supersede 
the  various  Directives  incorporated  in  it4;  their  content  is  fully  preserved,  and  they 
are  brought  together  with  only  such  formal  amendments  as  are  required  by  the 
codification exercise itself. 

The codification proposal was drawn up on the basis of a preliminary consolidation, 
in  all  official  languages,  of  Directive  93/29/EEC  and  the  instrument  amending  it, 
carried out by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, by 
means  of  a  data-processing  system.  Where  the  Articles  have  been  given  new 

COM(1987) 868 PV. 
See Annex 3 to Part A of the Conclusions. 
Carried out pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the 
Council - Codification of the acquis communautaire, COM(2001) 645 final. 
Annex III, Part A of this proposal. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

1 
2 
3 

4 

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numbers,  the  correlation  between  the  old  and  the  new  numbers  is  shown  in  a  table 
contained in Annex IV to the codified Directive. 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC (adapted) 

2006/0175 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for two- or three-wheel motor 
vehicles 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article ⌦ 95 ⌫ thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee1, 

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty2, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

Council  Directive  93/29/EEC  of  14  June  1993  on  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-
tales  and  indicators  for  two-  or  three-wheel  motor  vehicles3  has  been  substantially 
amended4.  In  the  interests  of  clarity  and  rationality  the  said  Directive  should  be 
codified. 

(cid:208)  

(2)  ⌦ Directive  93/29/EEC  is  one  of  the  separate  Directives  of  the  EC  type-approval 
system  provided  for  in  Directive  2002/24/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 18 March 2002 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor 

(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Recital 1 (adapted) 

1 
2 
3 

4 

OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
OJ  L  188,  29.7.1993,  p.  1.  Directive  as  amended  by  Commission  Directive  2000/74/EC  (OJ  L  300, 
29.11.2000, p. 24). 
See Annex III, Part A. 

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vehicles  and  repealing  Council  Directive 92/61/EEC5  and  lays  down  technical 
prescriptions  concerning  the  design  and  construction  of  two-  or  three-wheel  motor 
vehicles  as  regards  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-tales  and  indicators.  These 
technical prescriptions concern the approximation of the laws of the Member States to 
allow for the EC type-approval procedure provided for in Directive 2002/24/EC to be 
applied in respect of each type of vehicle. Consequently the provisions laid down in 
Directive 2002/24/EC relating to vehicle systems, components and separate technical 
units apply to this Directive. ⌫ 

(3) 

In order to facilitate access to the markets of non-Community countries an equivalence 
⌦ should  exist ⌫  between  the  requirements  of  this  Directive  and  those  of 
Regulation No 60 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. 

(cid:208) 93/29/EEC Recital 6 (adapted) 

(4) 

This  Directive  should  be  without  prejudice  to  the  obligations  of  the  Member  States 
relating  to  the  time-limits  for  transposition  into  national  law  and  application  of  the 
Directives set out in Annex III, Part B, 

(cid:208)  

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 

(cid:208) 93/29/EEC (adapted) 

Article 1 

This Directive applies to the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for all types of 
vehicle as defined in Article 1 of Directive 2002/24/EC . 

Article 2 

The procedure for the granting of EC component type-approval in respect of the identification 
of controls, tell-tales and indicators for a type of two- or three-wheel motor vehicle and the 
conditions governing the free movement of such vehicles shall be as laid down in Chapters II 
and III of Directive 2002/24/EC . 

5 

OJ L 124, 9.5.2002, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2005/30/EC (OJ L 106, 
27.4.2005, p. 17) 

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Article 3 

1.  In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article  11  of  Directive 2002/24/EC  ,  equivalence 
between  the  requirements  laid  down  in  this  Directive  and  those  laid  down  in  UN/ECE 
Regulation No 60 (E/ECE/TRANS/505 — Add. 59) is hereby acknowledged. 

2.  The  authorities  of  the  Member  States  which  grant  EC  component  type-approval  shall 
accept  approvals  granted  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  ⌦ UN/ECE ⌫ 
Regulation ⌦ referred to in paragraph 1 ⌫ as well as component type-approval marks as an 
alternative to the corresponding approvals granted in accordance with the requirements of this 
Directive. 

Article 4 

This  Directive  may  be  amended  in  accordance  with  ⌦ the  procedure  referred  to  in 
Article 13(3) ⌫ of [Council] Directive [70/156/EEC]6 in order to: 

⌦ (a) ⌫ 

take  into  account  any  amendments  to  the  UN/ECE  Regulation  referred  to  in 

Article 3 ⌦ ; ⌫ 

⌦ (b) ⌫ 

adapt ⌦ Annexes I and II ⌫ to technical progress. 

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the ⌦ main ⌫ provisions 
of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive. 

Article 5 

(cid:208) 

Article 6 

Directive  93/29/EEC,  as  amended  by  the  Directive  listed  in  Annex  III,  Part  A,  is  repealed 
without  prejudice  to  the  obligations  of  the  Member  States  relating  to  the  time-limits  for 
transposition into national law and application of the Directives set out in Annex III, Part B. 

References  to  the  repealed  Directive  shall  be  construed  as  references  to  this  Directive  and 
shall be read in accordance with the correlation table set out in Annex IV. 

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 7 

It shall apply from […] 

6 

OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1. 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC Art. 6 

Article 8 

This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 

ANNEX I 

REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING THE EC COMPONENT TYPE-APPROVAL OF 
TWO- OR THREE-WHEEL VEHICLES IN RESPECT OF THE IDENTIFICATION 
OF THEIR CONTROLS, TELL-TALES AND INDICATORS 

1. 

DEFINITIONS 

For the purposes of this Directive the following definitions shall apply: 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

‘control’ means any part of the vehicle or component directly actuated by the driver 
which  causes  a  change  in  the  state  or  operation  of  the  vehicle  or  one  of  the  parts 
thereof; 

‘tell-tale’  means  a  signal  indicating  the  triggering  of  a  device,  an  operation  or  a 
suspect or faulty state or an absence of operation; 

‘indicator’ means a device providing information on the proper functioning or state 
of a system or part of a system such as the level of a fluid; 

1.4. 

‘symbol’ means an outline enabling a control, tell-tale or indicator to be identified. 

2. 

REQUIREMENTS 

2.1. 

Identification 

The controls, tell-tales and indicators referred to in point 2.1.5 shall be identified in 
accordance with the following requirements when they are fitted to a vehicle. 

2.1.1.  These symbols shall stand out clearly against the background. 

(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(1) 

(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 
(cid:206)1 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

2.1.2.  The symbols shall be placed on the control or control tell-tale to be identified or in 
immediate proximity thereof. Where this is not possible the symbol and control, or 
tell-tale, shall be joined by a continuous dash that is as short as possible. 

2.1.3.  Main-beam  headlights  shall  be  represented  by  parallel  horizontal  rays  of  light  and 

dipped-beam headlamps by parallel rays of light angled downwards. 

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2.1.4.  When used for optical tell-tales the following colours listed below have the meanings 

indicated: 

— red: 

danger, 

— amber: 

caution, 

— green: 

safety. 

Blue shall be reserved exclusively for the main beam headlamp tell-tales. 

2.1.5.  Designation and identification of symbols 

Figure 1 

Headlamp control — Main-beam headlamp 

Tell-tale colour: blue. 

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Figure 2 

Headlamp control — Dipped-beam headlamp 

Tell-tale colour: green. 

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Figure 3 

Direction indicator 

(cid:206)1 Note:  if  there  are  separate  tell-tales  for  the  left  and  right  direction  indicators,  the  two 
arrows may also be used separately (cid:205) 

Tell-tale colour: green. 

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Figure 4 

Hazard warning device 

Two possibilities: 

– 

identifying signal placed alongside 

tell-tale colour: red 

or 

– 

simultaneous operation of direction indicators (both arrows in Figure 3). 

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Figure 5 

Manual choke 

Tell-tale colour: amber. 

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Figure 6 

Audible warning device 

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Figure 7 

Fuel level 

Tell-tale colour: amber. 

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Figure 8 

Engine coolant temperature 

Tell-tale colour: red. 

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Figure 9 

Battery charge 

Tell-tale colour: red. 

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Figure 10 

Engine oil 

Tell-tale colour: red. 

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Figure 11 

Front fog lamp(3) 

Tell-tale colour: green. 

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(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

Figure 12 

Rear fog lamp(3) 

Tell-tale colour: amber. 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 
(cid:206)1 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

(cid:206)1 Figure 13 

Engine ignition or cut-off control in ‘out of use’ position (cid:205) 

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(cid:206)1 Figure 14 

Engine ignition or cut-off control in the ‘operating’ position (cid:205) 

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(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

Figure 15 

Lighting switch 

Tell-tale colour: green. 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 
(cid:206)1 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

(cid:206)1 Figure 16 

Position (side) lamps 

(if the control is not separate, it may be identified by the symbol shown in figure 15) 

Tell-tale colour: green. (cid:205) 

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Figure (cid:206)1 17 (cid:205) 

‘Gear box in neutral’ indicator 

Tell-tale colour: green. 

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Figure (cid:206)1 18 (cid:205) 

Electric starter 

Notes: 

(1) 

The framed areas may be solid. 

(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. I(2) 

(cid:208) 93/29/EEC (adapted) 

(2) 

(3) 

The dark part of this symbol may be replaced by its silhouette; the white part in 
this diagram may then be entirely in a dark colour. 

If  a  single  control  is  used  for  the  front  and  rear  fog  lamps  the  symbol  used 
⌦ shall ⌫ be that for ‘front fog lamp’. 

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Appendix 

Structure of the model base for the symbols referred to in section 2.1.5 

Figure 1 

Model base 

The model base consists of: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

a  base  50 mm  square,  this  dimension  being  equal  to  nominal  dimension  ‘a’  in  the 
original; 

a  base  circle  56 mm  in  diameter  having  approximately  the  same  area  as  the  base 
square (1); 

a second 50 mm-diameter circle is drawn within the base square (1); 

a second square the tips of  which lie  on the base circle (2) ⌦ and ⌫ the sides of 
which are parallel to those of the base square (1); 

5. and 6. two rectangles having the same area as the base square (1), their sides being at right 
angles to each other and each of them devised so as to divide the opposite sides of 
the base square into symmetrical points; 

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7. 

a third square the sides of which pass through the points of intersection of the base 
square (1) and the base circle (2) and are inclined at 45°, thus providing the greatest 
horizontal and vertical dimensions of the model base; 

8. 

an irregular octagon formed by lines inclined at 30° to the sides of the square (7). 

The base model is laid upon a grid the lower side of which measures 12.5 mm and coincides 
with the base square (1). 

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ANNEX II 

Appendix 1 

(cid:208) 2000/74/EC Art. 1 and 
Annex pt. II (adapted) 

Information document in respect of the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for a type of two 
or three-wheel motor vehicle  

(to  be  attached  to  the  application  for  EC  component  type-approval  if  this  is  submitted  separately  from  the 
application for a vehicle type-approval) 

Order number (assigned by the applicant): 

The  application  for  a  EC  component  type-approval  in  respect  of  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-tales  and 
indicators of a type of two or three-wheel motor vehicle shall contain the information set out under the following 
points  in  Part  I,  Section  A  of  Annex  II  to  Directive ⌦ 2002/24/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council ⌫ : 

– 

– 

– 

– 

0.1, 

0.2, 

0.4 to 0.6, 

9.2.1. 

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(cid:208) 93/29/EEC 

Appendix 2 

Name of administration 

EC component type-approval certificate in respect of the identification of controls, tell-tales and 
indicators for a type of two- or three-wheel motor vehicles 

MODEL 

Report No ....................................by technical service .....................................date ............................ 

EC component type-approval No: ..................................Extension No: ............................................. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Make of vehicle: …………………………………………………………………………... 

Type of vehicle and any versions and variants: ……………………………………………. 

Manufacturer’s name and address: ………………………………………………………... 

……………………………………………………………………………………………... 

4. 

Name and address of manufacturer’s representative (if any): ……………………………….... 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………... 

Date vehicle submitted for test: ………………………………………………………………..… 

EC component type-approval granted/refused1: 

Place: ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Signature: …………………………………………………………………………………………. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

_________________________ 

_________________ 

1 

Delete as appropriate. 

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(cid:207)  

ANNEX III 

Part A 

Repealed Directive with its amendment 
(referred to in Article 6) 

Council Directive 93/29/EEC 

(OJ L 188, 29.7.1993, p. 1) 

Commission Directive 2000/74/EC 

(OJ L 300, 29.11.2000, p. 24) 

Part B 

List of time-limits for transposition into national law and application 
(referred to in Article 6) 

Directive 

Time-limit for 
transposition 

Date of application  

93/29/EEC 

2000/74/EC 

14 December 1994 

14 June 1995(*) 

31 December 2001 

1 January 2002(**) 

(*) 

In conformity with Article 5(1), third subparagraph of Directive 93/29/EEC: 

“From  the  date  mentioned  in  the  first  subparagraph  Member  States  may  not,  for 
reasons  connected  with  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-tales  and  indicators, 
prohibit the initial entry into service of vehicles which conform to this Directive.” 

The  said  date  is  14  December  1994;  see  first  subparagraph  of  Article  5(1)  of 
Directive 93/29/EEC. 

(**) 

In conformity with Article 2 of Directive 2000/74/EC: 

“1.  With effect from 1 January 2002, Member States may not, on grounds relating 

to the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators: 

– 

– 

refuse to grant EC type-approval for a type of two- or three-wheel motor 
vehicle, or 

prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of two- or three-wheel 
motor vehicles, 

if  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-tales  and  indicators  complies  with  the 
requirements of Directive 93/29/EEC, as amended by this Directive. 

2.  With  effect  from  1  July  2002,  Member  States  shall  refuse  to  grant  EC  type-
approval  for  any  new  type  of  two-  or  three-wheel  motor  vehicle  on  grounds 
relating  to  the  identification  of  controls,  tell-tales  and  indicators  if  the 
requirements  of  Directive  93/29/EEC,  as  amended  by  this  Directive,  are  not 
fulfilled.”

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ANNEX IV 

CORRELATION TABLE 

Directive 93/29/EEC 

This Directive 

Articles 1 and 2 

Articles 1 and 2 

Article 3, first paragraph 

Article 3, second paragraph 

Article 3(1) 

Article 3(2) 

Article 4, introductory phrase 

Article 4, introductory phrase 

Article 4, first indent 

Article 4, second indent 

Article 5(1) 

Article 5(2) 

— 

Article 6 

Annexes I and II 

— 

— 

— 

Article 4 point (a) 

Article 4 point (b) 

— 

— 

Article 5 

Articles 6 and 7 

Article 8 

Annexes I and II 

Annex III 

Annex IV 

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