Motor vehicles and trailers: masses and dimensions

COMMUNITY MEASURE : Commission Directive 2003/19/EC amending, for the purposes of adapting to technical progress, Directive 97/27/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the masses and dimensions of certain categories of motor vehicles and their trailers. CONTENT : in the light of experience gained with the application of Directive 97/27/EC, it is necessary to amend and to specify more precisely certain provisions contained therein in order to ensure uniform interpretation in all Member States. Annexes I to IV to Directive 97/27/EC are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Directive. With effect from 1 October 2003, in the case of vehicles which comply with the requirements of Directive 97/27/EC, as amended by this Directive, Member States shall not, on grounds relating to the masses and dimensions: a) refuse, in respect of a type of motor vehicle of category M2, M3, N or O, to grant EC type-approval or national type approval; or b) refuse, in respect of a type of motor vehicle of category M2, M3, N or O, to assign registration/in-service masses in accordance with Annex IV (where required); or c) prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of such vehicles. With effect from 1 October 2004, Member States shall not grant EC type-approval, and may refuse to grant national type-approval, for a type of vehicle of category M2, M3, N or O on grounds relating to its masses and dimensions, if the requirements of Directive 97/27/EC, as amended by this Directive, are not fulfilled. The United Kingdom and Portugal may, within their territory until 9 March 2005, refuse to grant national type-approval of a vehicle type, or refuse or prohibit the sale, registration, entry into service or use of a vehicle, or consider its certificate of conformity as not valid within the meaning of Article 7, paragraph 1 of Directive 70/156/EEC if the vehicle does not comply with the manoeuvrability criteria specified in Article 8(a) of Directive 96/53/EC, amended by the European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/7/EC. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 15 April 2003. TRANSPOSITION : 30 September 2003. �