Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union^f1, and in particular Article 47(2) and (5) thereof,

Whereas:

To ensure traceability of vehicles and their history, vehicles should be registered under a European vehicle number in a vehicle register. The rules for the establishment of the European vehicle number should be harmonised to ensure that vehicles are registered in the same way throughout the Union.

Vehicles are currently registered in national vehicle registers and each Member State manages its national vehicle register. There is a need to improve the usability of national vehicle registers and to avoid redundant registration of one vehicle in several vehicle registers, including vehicle registers of third countries connected to the Virtual Vehicle Register. Commission Decision 2007/756/EC^f2 should therefore be amended accordingly.

The cost-benefit analysis performed by the European Union Agency for Railways (‘the Agency’) highlighted significant advantages for the Union rail system stemming from the establishment of a European Vehicle Register that would replace national vehicle registers.

To reduce administrative burden and costs for Member States and stakeholders, the Commission should adopt technical and functional specifications for the European Vehicle Register which would incorporate the national vehicle registers.

The Agency should set up and maintain, where relevant in cooperation with the national registration entities, the European Vehicle Register. The national safety authorities, investigating bodies, and in response to any legitimate request, the regulatory bodies, and the Agency, the railway undertakings and the infrastructure managers, as well as those persons or organisations registering vehicles or identified in the register should be able to consult the European Vehicle Register.

Member States should designate a registration entity responsible for the registering of vehicles and the processing and update of information in relation to vehicles that entity has registered in the European Vehicle Register.

Keepers should fill in an application for registration with the required information and be able to submit its application via web-based tool using a harmonised e-form. Keepers should ensure that vehicle data submitted to registration entities is up-to-date and accurate.

Member States should be responsible for ensuring the quality and the integrity of vehicle data registered by the designated registration entity in the European Vehicle Register in accordance with Article 22 of Directive (EU) 2016/797 while the Agency should be responsible for the development and maintenance of the European Vehicle Register IT system in accordance with this Decision.

The European Vehicle Register should be a centralised register which provides a harmonised interface to all users for the consultation, registration of vehicle and data management.

There is a need for technical development and testing of the European Vehicle Register functionalities. The European Vehicle Register should however be operational on 16 June 2021 in accordance with Article 47(5) of Directive (EU) 2016/797.

In order to address Member States' specific needs, some national vehicle registers are used for other purposes than to ensure the traceability of vehicles and their history. To allow for the adaptation of national registers not specifically used for vehicle registration to interface with the European Vehicle Register, the migration towards the centralised registration of vehicles should be progressive. After the introduction of the European Vehicle Register, Member States should therefore be given the possibility to use a ‘de-centralised registration function’ until 16 June 2024 while other functions should be centralised from 16 June 2021. After 16 June 2024 all Member States should use only the centralised registration function.

The European Vehicle Register should allow for the registering of specific additional information required by Member States. Keepers should provide additional information required by a Member State when submitting an application for registration to that Member State.

In order to facilitate the use of vehicles registered in the European Vehicle Register in third countries, in particular those applying the provisions of the Convention concerning international carriage by rail to which the European Union is party, the relevant data of the European Vehicle Register should be accessible to authorising competent authorities in these third countries. For this purpose, the Agency should facilitate the implementation of Decisions adopted in accordance with the Convention concerning international carriage by rail of 9 May 1980, as amended by the Vilnius Protocol of 3 June 1999.

On 21 December 2016, the Agency issued a recommendation on the specifications of the national vehicle register indicating possibilities of improvement of the usability of national vehicle registers. On 14 December 2017, the Agency issued a recommendation on the specifications for the European Vehicle Register.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee referred to in Article 51(1) of Directive (EU) 2016/797,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: