Motor vehicles with trailers: distinguishing sign of the Member State of registration

1) OBJECTIVE

To facilitate road traffic and the free movement of persons within the Community and to contribute towards efforts to raise awareness and endorsement among European citizens of the establishment of an area without internal frontiers within which the free movement of persons, goods and services is secured.

2) ACT

Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 of 3 November 1998 on the recognition in intra-Community traffic of the distinguishing sign of the Member State in which motor vehicles and their trailers are registered [Official Journal L 299 of 10.11.1998].

3) SUMMARY

The Regulation for a regulation applies to vehicles registered in the Member States and driven in the Community.

"Distinguishing registration sign" means a set composed of one to three letters in Latin capitals indicating the Member State in which the vehicle is registered, as specified in the Annex to the Regulation.

Member States requiring vehicles registered in another Member State to display a distinguishing registration sign when they are being driven on their territory, must recognise the distinguishing registration sign displayed in accordance with the specifications in the Annex to the Regulation.

The Annex to the Regulation lays down the specifications for the apposition of a model registration plate, which, on the extreme left, displays a blue zone containing the 12 yellow stars representing the European flag plus the distinguishing sign of the Member State of registration.

Last updated: 18.07.2005