194 : Official Journal of the European Communities 6.4.70 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 76/25 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the space for mounting and the fixing of rear registration plates on motor vehicles and their trailers (70/222/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in partlcular Article 100 thereof; ‘Having regard to the proposal from the Commission; Whereas the technical requirements which motor vehicles must satisfy pursuant to national laws relate, inter alia, to the space for mounting and the fixing of rear registration plates; Whereas those requirements differ from one Member. State to another; whereas it is therefore necessary that all Member States adopt the same requirements either in addition to or in place of their existing rules, in order, in particular, to allow the EEC type approval procedure which was the subject- of the Council Directive! of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type approval of motor vehicles and their trailers to be applied in respect of each type of vehicle; HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 For the purposes of this Directive ‘vehicle’ means any motor vehicle intended for use on the road, with or without bodywork, having at least four wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour, and its trailers, with the exception of vehicles which run on rails, agricultural tractors and machinery and public works vehicles. 1 O] No L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1. Article 2. No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type approval or national type approval of a vehicle on grounds relating. to the space for mounting or the fixing of rear registration plates if these satisfy the requirements set out in the Annex to this Directive. " . Article 3 The amendments necessary for adjusting the requirements of the Annex so as to take account of technical progress shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 13 of the Council Directive of 6 February 1970 on the type approval of motor vehicles and their trailers. Article 4 1. Member States shall within eighteen months of notification of this Directive put into force provisions containing the tequirements needed in order to comply therewith and shall inform the Commission forthw1th 2. I\flembqr States shall - ensure that they communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive. , Article § This Directive is addressed to the Member States. Doné at Brussels, 20 March 1970. For the Council The President P. HARMEL