Commission issues warning over vehicle registration certs

The European Commission has written to Denmark, Luxembourg, Portugal, Cyprus and the Czech Republic over their failure to transpose European legislation on the introduction of a harmonised vehicle registration certificates into national law.

The Commison says the legislation will help improve road safety by making it possible to check that drivers are only driving categories of vehicle they are authorised to drive. The harmonisation of registration certificates will also improve the working of the internal market in road transport, the Commission claims.
The directive sets out to harmonise the presentation and content of vehicle registration certificates. The new certificate:

will help improve road safety, as its content will make it possible to check that drivers are only driving categories of vehicle that their driving licence authorises them to drive;
will be more easily understood by officials in other Member States who speak another language;

will facilitate the re-entry into service of vehicles previously registered in other Member States and contribute to the proper functioning of the internal market.
The five countries concerned did not notify measures transposing this Directive to the Commission by the deadline of 1 June 2004.