Vehicle registration plates of European Union
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Vehicle registration plates of the European Union are the mandatory number plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle in the respective Member States. Most motor vehicles which are used on public roads are required by law to display them.
The common EU format of having a blue section on the left with EU stars and the country code was introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 of 3 November 1998 and entered into force on the 11 November 1998. It was based on a model registration plate which several member states had introduced, Ireland (1991),[1] Portugal (1992),[2] and Germany (1994).[3]
The EU format is optional in Finland, Sweden, Cyprus[4] and the United Kingdom. Denmark implement the EU format on a voluntary basis in 2009[5].
Within the United Kingdom, motorists with vehicles registered in Great Britain may use number plates featuring the national flag of England, Scotland and Wales, or alternatively the Union Flag, together with the code/name ENG/England/ENGLAND, SCO/Scotland/SCOTLAND, Wales/WALES or CYM/Cymru/CYMRU, GB/Great Britain/GREAT BRITAIN or UK/United Kingdom/UNITED KINGDOM respectively. Although not officially recognised outside the UK, they are authorised by the DVLA.[6] However, motorists with vehicles registered in Northern Ireland fall within the jurisdiction of the DVA, which does not permit a similar scheme to operate in Northern Ireland; only the optional EU format, (featuring in this case the letters GB), being permitted.[7]
Contents |
List
Motorcycle plates
| Member state | Abbr. | Example |
|---|---|---|
 Slovenia | SLO |
|
 United Kingdom Great Britain | GB |
|
 Germany | D |  |
 Italy | I |  |
 France | F |  |
 Spain | E |  |
 Sweden | S |  |
 Poland | PL |  |
 Latvia | LV |  |
See also
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References
- ^ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZSI287Y1990.html
- ^ Portuguese car number plates#Colours
- ^ http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/EU_D6XX.html
- ^ http://www.licenseplatemania.com/landenframes/cyprus_fr.htm
- ^ http://www.skat.dk/SKAT.aspx?oId=1815328&vId=0 (dänisch)
- ^ DVLA (2009-04-27). "INF104: Vehicle registration numbers and number plates" (PDF). http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_067666.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
- ^ DVLNI (2009-01-29). "V796(NI): Display of Registration Marks for Motor Vehicles" (PDF). http://www.dvlni.gov.uk/vehicles/vehicle_forms/v796.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-10.