5.7.97 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 177/15 COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 97/39/EC of 24 June 1997 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 75/443/EEC of 26 June 1975 relating to the reverse and speedometer equipment of motor vehicles (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 70/156/EEC (') of 6 February 1970 relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, as last amended by European Parliament and Council Directive 96/79/EC (3, and in particular Article 13 (2) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 75/443/EEC of 26 June 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the reverse and speedometer equipment of motor vehicles (), and in particular Article 6 thereof, Whereas Directive 75/443/EEC is one of the separate Directives of the EC type-approval procedure which has been established by Directive 70/156/EEC; whereas, consequently, the provisions laid down in Directive 70/156/EEC relating to vehicle systems, components and separate technical units apply to this Directive; Whereas, in particular, Articles 3 (4) and 4 (3) of Directive 70/156/EEC necessitate that each separate Directive has attached to it an information document incorporating the relevant items of Annex I to that Directive and also a type-approval certificate based on Annex VI thereto in order that type-approval may be computerised; Whereas it is also desirable to align the technical speci- fications of this Directive with those of the corresponding UN-EEC Regulation No 39; Whereas the provisions of this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress established by Directive 70/156/EEC, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Directive 75/443/EEC shall be amended as fbllows: 1. Article 1 shall be amended to read at the end: ‘... rails and of agricultural and forestry tractors and all mobile machinery.’. () OJ No L 42, 23. 2. 1970, p. 1. () O] No L 18, 21. 1. 1997, p. 7. () OJ No L 196, 26. 7. 1975, p. 1. 2. The Annexes shall be amended in accordance with the Annex to this Directive. Article 2 1. With effect from 1 October 1997 Member States may not: — refuse, in respect of a type of vehicle, to grant EC type-approval or national type-approval, or — prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of vehicles, on grounds relating to the reverse and speedometer equipment if the vehicles comply with the requirements of Directive 75/443/EEC, as amended by this Directive. 2. With effect from 1 October 1998, the Member States: — shall no longer grant EC type-approval, and — may refuse to grant national type-approval for a type of vehicle on grounds relating to the reverse and speedometer equipment, if the requirements of Directive 75/443/EEC, as amended by this Directive, are not fulfilled. Article 3 1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regu- lations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 October 1997. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. 2. When the Member States adopt these provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such a reference shall be laid down by the Member States. 3.  Member States shall communicate to the Commis- sion the texts of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive.