9.7.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L171/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) 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 trailers and interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units and repealing Directive 74/150/EEC (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 95 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (2), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3), Whereas: (1) In connection with the harmonisation of approval procedures, it has become essential to bring the pro- visions of Council Directive 74/150/EEC of 4 March 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of wheeled agricul- tural or forestry tractors () into line with those of Council Directive 70/156/EEC 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 (°) and those of Council Directive 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two- or three-wheel motor vehicles (6). (1) OJC151E, 25.6.2002, p. 1. (9 OJC221,17.9.2002, p. 5. (}) Opinion of the European Parliament of 9 April 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 16 December 2002 (O] C 84 E, 8.4.2003, p. 1) and Decision of the European Parliament of 8 April 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (% O] L 84, 28.3.1974, p. 10. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2001/3/EC (O] L 28, 30.1.2001, p. 1). (®) OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Com- mission Directive 2001/116/EC (OJ L 18, 21.1.2002, p. 1). (9 OJL 225,10.8.1992, p. 72. Directive as last amended by Directive 2000/7[EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 106, 3.5.2000, p. 1). (2)  Directive 74/150/EEC currently limits the scope of the Community type-approval procedure to wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors. It is therefore also essential to extend its scope to other categories of agricultural or forestry vehicles. This Directive is there- fore a first step towards the regulation of other agricul- tural motorised vehicles. (3)  Account should also be taken of the fact that an exemption procedure should be introduced for certain vehicles built in limited numbers, end-of-series vehicles, or those which take advantage of technical progress not covered by a separate directive. (4)  This Directive being based on the principle of total harmonisation, the period before EC type-approval becomes compulsory should be long enough to allow the manufacturers of those vehicles to adjust to the new harmonised procedures. (5)  Asaresult of Council Decision 97/836/EC of 27 Novem- ber 1997 with a view to accession by the European Community to the Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning the adop- tion of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted to and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions (Revised 1958 Agree- ment) (’), the various international regulations to which the Community has acceded must be complied with. Also, certain tests should be harmonised with those defined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) codes. (7) OJL 346,17.12.1997, p. 78.