19.8.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 21423 DIRECTIVES DIRECTIVE 2009/63/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 13 July 2009 on certain parts and characteristics of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (codified version) (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 Committee (1), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1) Council Directive 74/151/EEC of 4 March 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to certain parts and characteristics of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (}) has been substantially amended several times (*). In the interests of clarity and rationality the said Directive should be codified. (2)  Directive 74/151/EEC is one of the separate Directives of the EC type-approval system provided for in Council Directive 74/150/EEC of 4 March 1974 on the approxi- mation of the laws of the Member States relating to type- approval of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors, as replaced by Directive 2003/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on type-approval of agricultural or forestry tractors, their () OJ C 161, 13.7.2007, p. 36. (%) Opinion of the European Parliament of 19 June 2007 (O] C 146 E, 12.6.2008, p. 74) and Council Decision of 22 June 2009. () OJ L 84, 28.3.1974, p. 25. (*) See Annex VII, Part A. trailers and interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units (°) and lays down technical prescriptions concerning the design and construction of agricultural or forestry tractors with regard, inter alia, to their maximum permissible laden mass, the location and fixing of rear registration plates, tanks for liquid fuel, ballast weights, audible warning devices, permissible sound levels and the exhaust system (silencer). Those technical prescriptions seek to approximate the laws of the Member States to enable the EC type-approval procedure provided for in Directive 2003/37/EC to be applied in respect of each type of tractor. Consequently, the provisions laid down in Directive 2003/37/EC relating to agricultural and forestry tractors, their trailers, and their interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units, apply to this Directive. (3)  This Directive should be without prejudice to the obli- gations of the Member States concerning the time-limits for transposition into national law and application of the Directives set out in Annex VII, Part B, HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 1. ‘Tractor (agricultural or forestry) means any motor vehicle, fitted with wheels or endless tracks and having at least two axles, the main function of which lies in its tractive power and which is specially designed to tow, push, carry or power certain tools, machinery or trailers intended for agri- cultural or forestry use. It may be equipped to carry a load and passengers. 2. This Directive shall apply only to tractors defined in paragraph 1 which are equipped with pneumatic tyres and have a maximum design speed of between 6 and 40 km/h. () OJ L 171, 9.7.2003, p. 1.