
Article 1 
Member States shall take all necessary steps to ensure that, throughout their service life on the road, tyres for category Ml, N1, 01 and 02 vehicles as defined in Annex I to 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, as last amended by Directive 87/403/EEC, have a tread depth in the main grooves of the tread surface of at least 1,6 mm.
‘Main grooves’ means the broad grooves in the central part of the tread surface, which covers about three-quarters of the width of the tread surface.
Article 2 
After consulting the Commission, Member States may exclude from the scope of this Directive, or make special provisions for, vehicles which are declared to be of historical interest and, originally equipped with tyres, whether pneumatic or other, which, when new, had a tread depth of less than 1,6 mm, provided that they are equipped with such tyres, are used in exceptional conditions and are never, or hardly ever, used on public roads.
Article 3 
After consulting the Commission, Member States shall adopt and publish before 1 June 1991 the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 January 1992. Member States shall inform the Commission of the texts of the provisions they adopt to implement this Directive.
Article 4 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 18 July 1989.
For the Council
The President
R. DUMAS