Vehicle registration plates of the 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 was introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 of 3 November 1998 and entered into force on the 11 Nov 1998. It was based on a model registration plate which several member states had introduced, Ireland 1991, Portugal 1992, and Germany 1994. (This 'common format' has since been claimed to be "stolen" from a registered design - number 2053070 - registered at the UK Patent office by David and Nansi Mottram in 1995, some years after the introduction of the plate format in Ireland, Portugal, and Germany. [1]. No successful challenge has been launched by the registered "designers" to date.)
The EU format is optional in Finland, France, Sweden, Cyprus [2] and the United Kingdom. Belgium has not yet implemented the common format. [3]
Some motorists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (constituent countries within the United Kingdom) use EU-style plates with their national flag and the codes SCO, CYM and NIR respectively. Although not officially recognised, they are permitted by the UK government as an expression of national pride. Some motorists in England have started to display ENG codes in response to this fashion.[1].
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 EUR vehicle registration plate: Belgian plates for European Commission officials |
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