Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trailers, and their location and method of attachment (Codified version)
Date: 2007-06-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approximation of laws, codification of EU law, marketing, motor vehicle, vehicle parts, vehicle registration

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 21.6.2007 
COM(2007) 344 final 

2007/0119 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trailers, and their 
location and method of attachment 

(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 76/114/EEC of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the 
Member  States  relating  to  statutory  plates  and  inscriptions  for  motor  vehicles  and 
their trailers, and their location and method of attachment3. The new Directive will 
supersede  the  various  acts  incorporated  in  it4;  this  proposal  fully  preserves  the 
content of the acts being codified and hence does no more than bring them together 
with only such formal amendments as are required by the codification exercise itself. 

COM(87) 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. 
See Annex II, Part A of this proposal. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

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2 
3 

4 

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5. 

The codification proposal was drawn up on the basis of a preliminary consolidation, 
in all official languages, of Directive 76/114/EEC and the instruments 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 
numbers,  the  correlation  between  the  old and  the  new  numbers  is  shown  in  a  table 
contained in Annex III to the codified Directive. 

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(cid:208) 76/114/EEC (adapted) 

2007/0119 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trailers, and their 
location and method of attachment 

(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: 

(cid:208)  

(1) 

Council Directive 76/114/EEC of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws 
of  the  Member  States  relating  to  statutory  plates  and  inscriptions  for  motor  vehicles 
and their trailers, and their location and method of attachment3 has been substantially 
amended  several  times4.  In  the  interests  of  clarity  and  rationality  the  said  Directive 
should be codified. 

(2)  ⌦ Directive  76/114/EEC  is  one  of  the  separate  Directives  of  the  EC  type-approval 
system  provided  for  in  Council  Directive  [70/156/EEC  of  6 February 1970  on  the 
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor 
vehicles and their trailers5] and laid down technical prescriptions concerning statutory 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC Recital 2 (adapted) 

1 
2 
3 

4 
5 

OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ L 24, 30.1.1976, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/96/EC (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, 
p. 81) . 
See Annex II, Part A. 
[OJ  L  42,  23.2.1970,  p.  1.  Directive  as  last  amended  by  Directive  2006/40/EC  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 161, 14.6.2006, p. 12).] 

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plates  and  inscriptions  and  their  location  and  method  of  attachment.  Those  technical 
prescriptions concerned the approximation of the laws of the Member States to allow 
for  the  EC  type-approval  procedure  established  by  Directive  [70/156/EEC]  to  be 
applied in respect of each type of vehicle. Consequently, the provisions laid down in 
Directive  [70/156/EEC]  relating  to  vehicle  systems,  components  and  separate 
technical units apply to this Directive. ⌫ 

(3)  ⌦ The EC type approval procedure should entail reciprocal recognition by Member 
States  of  the  checks  carried  out  by  each  of  them  on  the  basis  of  the  common 
requirements. ⌫ 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC Recital 3 (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 II, Part B, 

(cid:208)  

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC 

Article 1 

For the purposes of this Directive, ’vehicle’ means any motor vehicle intended for use on the 
road,  with  or  without  bodywork,  having  at  least  four  wheels  and  a  maximum  design  speed 
exceeding  25 km/h,  and  its  trailers,  with  the  exception  of  vehicles  which  run  on  rails, 
agricultural or forestry tractors and machinery, and public works vehicles. 

Article 2 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC (adapted) 

No Member State may refuse to grant EC type-approval or national type-approval of a vehicle 
on grounds relating to the statutory plates and inscriptions and their location and method of 
attachment, if these satisfy the requirements set out in Annex I . 

Article 3 

No Member State may refuse registration or prohibit the sale, entry into service or use of a 
vehicle  on  grounds  relating  to  the  statutory  plates  and  inscriptions  and  their  location  and 
method of attachment, if these satisfy the requirements set out in Annex I . 

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Article 4 

The amendments necessary to adapt the requirements of Annex I to ⌦ this Directive to take 
account  of ⌫  technical  progress  shall  be  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  procedure 
⌦ referred to ⌫ in [Article 13 ⌦ (3) ⌫ of Directive 70/156/EEC]. 

⌦ 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 76/114/EEC, as amended by the Acts listed in Annex II, 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 II, 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 in Annex III. 

Article 7 

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

It shall apply from […]. 

(cid:208) 76/114/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) 76/114/EEC 

ANNEX I 

1. 

GENERAL 

.All  vehicles  must  be  provided  with  the  plate  and  inscriptions  described  in  the 
following  sections.  The  plate  and  inscriptions  shall  be  attached  either  by  the 
manufacturer or by his authorised representative. 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC 
(cid:206)1 78/507/EEC Art. 1 and Annex 

2. 

MANUFACTURER'S PLATE 

2.1. 

A  manufacturer's  plate,  modelled  on  that  shown  in  the  appendix  hereto,  must  be 
firmly attached in a conspicuous and readily accessible position on a part not subject 
to replacement in use. It must show clearly and indelibly the following information 
in the order listed: 

2.1.1.  Name of the manufacturer. 

2.1.2.  EC type-approval number (cid:206)1 1 . 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC (adapted) 
(cid:206)1 1985 Act of Accession Art. 26 
and Annex I, p. 213 
(cid:206)2 87/354/EEC Art. 1 and Annex, 
pt. 6 
(cid:206)3 1994 Act of Accession Art. 29 
and Annex I, p. 202 
(cid:206)4 2003 Act of Accession Art. 20 
and Annex II, pt. 1(A)(14), p. 57 
(cid:206)5 2006/96/EC Art. 1 and Annex, 
point 13 

This  number  is  composed  of  a  small  letter  ’e’  followed,  in  the  order  given,  by  the 
distinguishing number of the country which granted the EC type-approval (cid:206)1 (1 for 
Germany, 2 for France, 3 for Italy, 4 for the Netherlands,  (cid:206)3 5 for Sweden,  6 
for Belgium, (cid:206)4 7 for Hungary, 8 for the Czech Republic,  9 for Spain, 11 for the 
United Kingdom, (cid:206)3 12 for Austria,  13 for Luxembourg, (cid:206)3 17 for Finland,  
18  for  Denmark,  (cid:206)5 19  for  Romania,   (cid:206)4 20  for  Poland,   21  for  Portugal, 
(cid:206)2 23  for  Greece  ,  24  for  Ireland,  (cid:206)4 26  for  Slovenia,  27  for  Slovakia,  29  for 

1 

If  a  vehicle  has  not  been  given  EC  type-approval  and  therefore  does  not  have  an  EC  type  approval 
number, a Member State may require that the national type-approval number be indicated. If a national 
type-approval number is required to be indicated the manufacturer can place it either on a plate separate 
from the manufacturer's plate or on the manufacturer’s plate itself. 

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Estonia,  32  for  Latvia,   (cid:206)5 34  for  Bulgaria,   (cid:206)4 36  for  Lithuania,  49  for 
Cyprus,  50  for  Malta  )  and  by  the  type-approval  number  corresponding  to  the 
number on the type-approval certificate for the type of vehicle. An asterisk shall be 
placed  between  the  letter  ‘e’  and  the  distinguishing  number  of  the  country  which 
granted the EC type-approval, and between the distinguishing number and the type-
approval number. 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC (adapted) 
(cid:206)1 78/507/EEC Art. 1 and Annex 

2.1.3.  Vehicle identification number. 

2.1.4.  Maximum permitted laden (cid:206)1 mass  of the vehicle. 

2.1.5.  Maximum  permitted  laden  (cid:206)1 mass   for  the  combination,  where  the  vehicle  is 

used for towing. 

2.1.6.  Maximum  permitted  road  (cid:206)1 mass   for  each  axle,  listed  in  order  from  front  to 

rear. 

2.1.7. 

In the case of a semi-trailer, the maximum permitted (cid:206)1 mass  on the fifth wheel 
king pin. 

2.1.8.  A Member State may require that the maximum permitted (cid:206)1 masses  prescribed 
in its national legislation be shown on the plate of any vehicle which has entered into 
service in its territory. 

If  the  technically  permissible  (cid:206)1 mass   is  higher  than  the  maximum  permitted 
(cid:206)1 mass ,  the  Member  State  in  question  may  request  that  the  technically 
permissible  (cid:206)1 mass   also  be  stated.  The  (cid:206)1 mass   would  be  set  out  in  two 
columns:  the  maximum  permitted  (cid:206)1 mass   on  the  left  and  the  technically 
permissible (cid:206)1 mass  on the right. 

2.2. 

The  manufacturer  may  give  additional  information  below  or  to  the  side  of  the 
prescribed inscriptions, outside a clearly marked rectangle which shall enclose only 
the information prescribed in points 2.1.1 to 2.1.8 (see the Appendix to this Annex). 

3. 

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 

The  vehicle  identification  number  is  a  fixed  combination  of  characters  assigned  to 
each vehicle by the manufacturer. Its purpose is to ensure that every vehicle can be 
clearly  identified  over  a  period  of  30  years  through  the  intermediary  of  the 
manufacturer,  without  there  being  a  need  for  reference  to  further  data.  The  vehicle 
identification number must conform to the following requirements: 

3.1. 

It must be marked on the manufacturer's plate, and also on the chassis, frame or other 
similar structure. 

(cid:208) 78/507/EEC Art. 1 and Annex 

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3.1.1. 

It must consist of three sections. 

3.1.1.1.  The  first  section  shall  consist  of  a  code  assigned  to  the  vehicle  manufacturer  to 
enable  him  to  be  identified.  The  code  shall  comprise  three  characters,  letters  or 
figures which shall be assigned by the competent authorities of the country where the 
manufacturer has his principal place of business, by agreement with the international 
agency  acting  under 
for 
Standardization  (ISO).  The  first  character  shall  designate  a  geographical  area,  the 
second a country within a geographical area, and the third a specific manufacturer. 

International  Organization 

the  authority  of 

the 

Where the manufacturer produces less than 500 vehicles per year, the third character 
shall always be “9”. In order to identify such manufacturers, the competent authority 
referred  to  above  shall  also  assign  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  characters  of  the  third 
section. 

3.1.1.2.  The  second  section  shall  be  composed  of  six  characters  (letters  or  figures)  which 
shall serve to indicate the general characteristics of the vehicle. If the manufacturer 
does  not  use  one  or  more  of  these  characters,  the  unused  spaces  must  be  filled  by 
alphabetical or numerical characters, of the manufacturer's choice. 

3.1.1.3.  The  third  section,  composed  of  eight  characters,  of  which  the  last  four  must  be 
numerical,  must  in  conjunction  with  the  other  two  sections  provide  clear 
identification  of  a  particular  vehicle.  Any unused  space  must  be  filled  by  a  zero  in 
order that the total number of characters required may be fulfilled. 

3.1.2. 

It must wherever possible be marked on a single line. 

As an exception, for technical reasons, it may also be marked on two lines. However, 
in  this  latter  case  no  section  may  be  divided  between  the  two  lines.  The  beginning 
and  end  of  each  line  must  be  indicated  by  a  symbol  which  is  neither  an  arabic 
numeral nor a roman capital letter, and which cannot be confused with either. This 
requirement may be waived in the case of manufacturer's plates where the number is 
marked on one line only. It is also permissible to place such a symbol between the 
three sections on one line (point 3.1.1). 

There must be no spaces between the characters. 

(cid:208) 76/114/EEC (adapted) 

3.2. 

The identification number must, moreover: 

3.2.1. 

be marked on the chassis, frame or other similar structure, on the right-hand side of 
the vehicle; 

3.2.2. 

be placed in a clearly visible and accessible position by a method such as hammering 
or stamping, in such a way that it cannot be obliterated or deteriorate. 

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4. 

CHARACTERS 

4.1. 

Roman letters and arabic numerals must be used for all the markings provided for in 
points  2  and  3.  However,  the  roman  letters  used  in  the  markings  provided  for  in 
points 2.1.1 and 2.1.3 and 3 must be capital letters. 

4.2. 

For the vehicle identification number: 

4.2.1. 

use of the letters I, O and Q and dashes, asterisks and other special signs, other than 
the  symbols  referred  to  in  the  ⌦ second ⌫  paragraph  of  point  3.1.2,  is  not 
permitted; 

4.2.2. 

the minimum height of the letters and figures shall be as follows: 

4.2.2.1.  7 mm for characters marked directly on the chassis, frame or other similar structure 

of the vehicle; 

4.2.2.2.  4 mm for characters marked on the manufacturer's plate. 

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(cid:208) 78/507/EEC Art. 1 and Annex 

Appendix 

MODEL OF THE MANUFACTURER'S PLATE 

The examples below do not prejudice the data which are actually to appear on manufacturers' 
plates. They are merely given as a guide. 

Example No 1 

STELLA FABBRICA AUTOMOBILI 

e*3*1485 

3 I S K L M 3 A C 8 B 1 2 3 9 5 4 

1 500 kg 

2 500 kg 

1 – 730 kg 

2 – 810 kg 

Example as for category M1 vehicle. 

Additional information as provided for in point 2.2 may be given below or to the side of the 
prescribed data (see rectangles shown with dotted lines in the above model). 

Example No 2 

MAYER KRAFTFAHRZEUGWERK 

e*1*501 

3 G T W O 1 8 0 0 9 B S 5 1 3 1 2 

22 000 kg 

38 000 kg 

1 – 7 000 kg 

2 – 8 000 kg 

3 – 8 000 kg 

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Example as for category N3 vehicle. 

Additional information as provided for in point 2.2 may be given below or to the side of the 
prescribed data (see rectangles shown with dotted lines in the above model). 

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(cid:207) 

ANNEX II 

Part A 

Repealed Directive with list of its successive amendments 
(referred to in Article 6) 

Council Directive 76/114/EEC 
(OJ L 24, 30.1.1976, p. 1) 

Commission Directive 78/507/EEC 
(OJ L 155, 13.6.1978, p. 31) 

Point  X.a.5.  of  Annex  I  to  the  1979  Act  of 
Accession 
(OJ L 291, 19.11.1979, p. 109) 

Point  IX.A.12.  of  Annex  I  to  the  1985  Act  of 
Accession 
(OJ L 302, 15.11.1985, p. 213) 

Council Directive 87/354/EEC 
(OJ L 192, 11.7.1987, p. 43) 

Point 6 of the Annex only 

Point  XI.C.I.6.  of  Annex  I  to  the  1994  Act  of 
Accession 
(OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 205) 

Point I.A.14 of Annex II to the 2003 Act of 
Accession 
(OJ L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 57) 

Council Directive 2006/96/EC 
(OJ L 81, 20.12.2006, p. 81) 

regards 

to 
Only  as 
Directive  76/114/EEC  in  Article  1  and 
point 13 of the Annex 

reference 

the 

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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 

76/114/EEC 

78/507/EEC 

87/354/EEC 

1 January 1977 

1 October 1978 

1 October 1978(*) 

31 December 1987 

- 

- 

(*) 

In compliance with Article 2 of Directive 78/507/EEC: 

“1.  With  effect  from  1  October  1978  no  Member  State  may  on  grounds  relating  to  the  statutory 

plates and inscriptions, their location and method of attachment: 

– 

refuse in respect of a type of vehicle to grant EEC type-approval, to issue the document 
referred  to  in  the  last  indent  of  Article  10(1)  of  Directive 70/156/EEC,  or  to  grant 
national type-approval, or 

– 

prohibit the entry into service of vehicles, 

if the statutory plates and inscriptions, their location and attachment of such type of vehicle or 
of  such  vehicles  comply  with  the  provisions  of  Directive 76/114/EEC  as  amended  by  this 
Directive. 

2.  With effect from 1 October 1981 Member States: 

– 

– 

may  no  longer  issue  the  document  referred  to  in  the  last  indent  of  Article 10(1)  of 
Directive 70/156/EEC in respect of a type of vehicle of which the statutory plates and 
inscriptions,  their  location  and  attachment  do  not  comply  with  the  provisions  of 
Directive 76/114/EEC as amended by this Directive, 

may  refuse  to  grant  national  type-approval  in  respect  of  a  type  of  vehicle  of  which 
statutory plates and inscriptions, their location and attachment do not comply with the 
provisions of Directive 76/114/EEC as amended by this Directive. 

3.  With effect from 1 October 1981 Member States may prohibit the entry into service of vehicles 
of which the statutory plates and inscriptions, their location and attachment do not comply with 
the provisions of Directive 76/114/EEC as amended by this Directive.” 

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ANNEX III 

CORRELATION TABLE 

Directive 76/114/EEC 

This Directive 

Articles 1 to 4 

Article 5 

- 

- 

- 

Article 6 

Annex 

Articles 1 to 4 

- 

Article 5 

Article 6  

Article 7 

Article 8 

Annex I 

Annex, point 1 and point 1.1 

Annex I, point 1 

Annex, points 2 to 4 

Annex I, points 2 to 4 

Appendix 

- 

- 

Appendix 

Annex II 

Annex III 

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