16.1.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 10/29 COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2003/127/EC of 23 December 2003 amending Council Directive 1999/37[EC on the registration documents for 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 1999/37/EC of 29 April 1999 on the registration documents for vehicles (!), and in par- ticular Article 6 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Directive 1999/37/EC laid down harmonised rules concerning the registration certificates for vehicles subject to registration in the Community. 2)  In view of the increasing introduction of electronic and telematics equipment in vehicles, the Annexes to Direc- tive 1999/37/EC should be adapted to scientific and technical progress to allow Member States to issue vehicle registration documents in microprocessor smart card format instead of paper documents. (3)  Directive 1999/37/EC should therefore be amended accordingly. (4)  The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee instituted by Article 8 of Council Directive 96/96/EC (3), (5)  Member States should implement the necessary measures to ensure that the collection and processing of personal data required for the issuing of vehicle registration docu- ments in the format of smart cards complies with Direc- tive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of indivi- duals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (?), OJ L 138, 1.6.1999, p. 57. () OJ L 46,17.2.1997, p. 1. OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31. HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Atrticle 1 The Annexes to Directive 1999/37/EC are replaced by the text in the Annex to this Directive. Atticle 2 1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 15 January 2005 at the latest. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions and a correlation table between those provisions and this Direc- tive. When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a refer- ence on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made. 2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive. Article 3 This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Atrticle 4 This Directive is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 23 December 2003. For the Commission Loyola DE PALACIO Vice-President