THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,(1)

Having regard of the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty(3),

Whereas the internal market comprises an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured; whereas it is important to adopt measures to that end;

Whereas the technical requirements which motor vehicles and their trailers must satisfy pursuant to national laws relate, inter alia, to the mechanical couplings of such vehicles;

Whereas these 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 to allow, in particular, the EEC type-approval procedure which was the subject of Council Directive 70/156/EC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers(4), to be implemented;

Whereas this Directive will be one of the separate directives of the EEC 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 shall apply to this Directive;

Whereas, with the view of improving road safety and facilitating the interchangeability of motor vehicles and trailers in international traffic, it is considered important that all kinds of vehicles forming a road train or being an articulated vehicle shall be equipped with standardized and harmonized mechanical coupling systems;

Whereas it is desirable to follow the technical requirements of the ECE (Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations) Regulation No 55 relating to the uniform provisions concerning mechanical coupling components of combinations of vehicles; whereas Regulation No 55 is annexed to the Agreement of 20 March 1958 concerning the adoption of uniform conditions of approval and reciprocal recognition of approval for motor vehicle equipment and parts;

Whereas mainly international standards (ISO) have been taken into consideration for uniform dimensions of mechanical coupling systems to ensure interchangeability of the individual vehicles forming road trains or articulated vehicles and to guarantee free movement of goods the Member States,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: