
Article 1 

1. ‘Tractor’ (agricultural or forestry) means any motor vehicle fitted with wheels or endless tracks and having at least two axles, the main function of which lies in its tractive power and which is specially designed to tow, push, carry or power certain tools, machinery or trailers intended for agricultural or forestry use. It may be equipped to carry a load and passengers.
2. This Directive shall apply only to tractors defined in paragraph 1 which are equipped with pneumatic tyres and have a maximum design speed of between 6 and 40 km/h.
Article 2 

1. No Member State may refuse to grant EC type-approval, to issue the document provided for in Article 2(u) of Directive 2003/37/EC, or to grant national type-approval in respect of a type of tractor on grounds relating to its steering equipment, if this satisfies the requirements set out in Annex I.
2. Member States may no longer issue the document referred to in Article 2(u) of Directive 2003/37/EC for any type of tractor that does not meet the requirements of this Directive.Member States may refuse to grant national type-approval in respect of a type of tractor that does not meet the requirements of this Directive.
Article 3 
No Member State may refuse registration or prohibit the sale, initial entry into service or use of tractors on grounds relating to the steering equipment if this satisfies the requirements set out in Annex I.
Article 4 
Any amendments necessary to adapt to technical progress the requirements of Annex I shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 20(3) of Directive 2003/37/EC.
Article 5 
Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 6 
Directive 75/321/EEC, as amended by the Directives listed in Part A of Annex II, is repealed, without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States relating to the time-limits for transposition into national law and application of the Directives set out in Annex II, Part B.
References to the repealed Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.
Article 7 
This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2010.
Article 8 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 13 July 2009.
For the European Parliament
The President
H.-G. PÖTTERING
For the Council
The President
E. ERLANDSSON
ANNEX I
1.  1.1. 
‘Steering equipment’ means all the equipment the purpose of which is to alter the direction of movement of the tractor.

The steering equipment may be considered to include:


— the steering control,
— the steering gear,
— the steered wheels,
— where applicable, special equipment to produce additional or independent power,
 1.1.1. 
‘Steering control’ means the part directly operated by the driver in order to steer the tractor.
 1.1.2. 
‘Steering gear’ means all the components between the steering control and the steered wheels, with the exception of the special equipment defined in point 1.1.4. The steering gear may be mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric or a combination of any of these.
 1.1.3. 
‘Steered wheels’ means:


— the wheels the alignment of which may be altered directly or indirectly in relation to that of the tractor in order to obtain a change in the direction of movement of the tractor,
— all wheels of articulated tractors,
— wheels on the same axle, the speed of which may be varied in order to obtain a change in the direction of movement of the tractor,

Self-tracking castor wheels are not steered wheels.
 1.1.4. 
‘Special equipment’ means that part of the steering equipment by which additional or independent power is produced. Additional or independent power may be produced by any mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical system, or by any combination of these (for example by an oil pump, air pump or battery, etc.).
 1.2.  1.2.1. 

1.2.1.1. Manual steering equipment, in which the steering power is provided solely by the muscular power of the driver;
1.2.1.2. Assisted steering equipment, in which the steering power is provided both by the muscular power of the driver and by the special equipment defined in point 1.1.4;
Steering equipment where the steering power is normally provided solely by the special equipment defined in point 1.1.4, but which in the event of failure of the special equipment enables the muscular power of the driver to be used for steering, shall be considered as ‘assisted steering equipment’.
1.2.1.3. Servo-steering equipment, in which the steering power is provided solely by the special equipment defined in point 1.1.4.
 1.3. 
‘Steering effort’ means the force exerted by the driver on the steering control in order to steer the tractor.

2.  2.1.  2.1.1. The steering equipment must ensure easy and safe handling of the tractor and must comply with the detailed requirements set out in point 2.2.
 2.2.  2.2.1.  2.2.1.1. The steering control must be easy to use and grip. It must be designed in such a way as to permit gradual deflection. The direction of movement of the steering control must correspond to the desired change in the direction of the tractor.
 2.2.1.2. The steering effort required to achieve a turning circle of 12 m radius, starting from the straight ahead position, must not exceed 25 daN. In the case of assisted steering equipment that is not connected to other equipment, if the auxiliary power supply fails the steering effort required must not exceed 60 daN.
 2.2.1.3. 
For the test, the tractor must be loaded to its technically permissible maximum weight; tyre pressures and weight distribution between the axles must conform to the manufacturer’s instructions.
 2.2.2.  2.2.2.1. The steering equipment may not include either electrical or wholly pneumatic steering gear.
 2.2.2.2. The steering gear must be so designed as to meet any operational requirements. It must be easily accessible for maintenance and inspection.
 2.2.2.3. In the case of steering gear which is not wholly hydraulic, it must be possible to drive the tractor even in the event of failure of the hydraulic or pneumatic components of the steering gear.
 2.2.2.4. 

2.2.2.4.1. One or more pressure limitation devices must protect the whole or part of the circuit against excess pressure;
2.2.2.4.2. The pressure limitation devices must be set so as not to exceed a pressure T equal to the maximum operating pressure stated by the manufacturer;
2.2.2.4.3. The characteristics and dimensions of the pipe work must be such that the pipes withstand four times the pressure T (permitted by the pressure limitation devices), and must be protected in places and arranged in such a way that the risks of damage by impact or interference are reduced to a minimum, and the risks of damage by rubbing can be considered negligible.
 2.2.3.  2.2.3.1. All the wheels may be steered wheels.
 2.2.4.  2.2.4.1. 

2.2.4.1.1. If the tractor is equipped with assisted steering equipment as defined in point 1.2.1.2, it must be possible to drive it even in the event of failure of the special equipment as already stated in point 2.2.1.2. If the assisted steering equipment does not have its own source of power, it must be fitted with a power reservoir. This power reservoir may be replaced by a self-contained device providing power supply to the steering equipment with priority over the other systems which are linked to the common energy source. Without prejudice to the provisions of Council Directive 76/432/EEC of 6 April 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the braking devices of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors, if there is a hydraulic connection between the hydraulic steering equipment and the hydraulic braking equipment, and if both are supplied from the same energy source, the force required to activate the steering equipment shall not exceed 40 daN if either of the systems should fail. If the source of power is compressed air, the air reservoir must be protected by a non-return valve.
Where the steering power is normally provided solely by the special equipment defined in point 1.1.4, the assisted steering equipment must be fitted with a device such that if, in the event of failure of the special equipment, the steering effort exceeds 25 daN, a visual or acoustic signal must give warning of such failure.
2.2.4.1.2. If the tractor is fitted with servo-steering equipment as defined in point 1.2.1.3, and provided that such equipment has a wholly hydraulic steering gear, it must be possible, should the special device or motor fail, to carry out the two manoeuvres specified in point 2.2.1.3 using a special additional device. The special additional device may be a compressed air or gas reservoir. An oil pump or compressor may be used as the special additional device if that device is worked by the rotation of the tractor wheels and cannot be disconnected from them. In the event of failure of the special equipment, a visual or acoustic signal must give warning of such failure.

2.2.4.1.2.1. If the special device is pneumatic, it must be fitted with a compressed air reservoir protected by a non-return valve. The capacity of the compressed air reservoir must be calculated so that at least seven complete turns (from lock to lock) are possible before the reservoir pressure falls to half its operating pressure; the test must be carried out with the steered wheels off the ground.

ANNEX II

PART A

Council Directive 75/321/EEC(OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 24). 
Council Directive 82/890/EEC(OJ L 378, 31.12.1982, p. 45). Only as regards the references to Directive 75/321/EEC in Article 1(1)
Commission Directive 88/411/EEC(OJ L 200, 26.7.1988, p. 30). 
Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(OJ L 277, 10.10.1997, p. 24). Only as regards the references to Directive 75/321/EEC in the first indent of Article 1
Commission Directive 98/39/EC(OJ L 170, 16.6.1998, p. 15). 

PART B

Directive Time-limit for transposition Date of application
75/321/EEC 22 November 1976 —
82/890/EEC 22 June 1984 —
88/411/EEC 30 September 1988 —
97/54/EC 22 September 1998 23 September 1998
98/39/EC 30 April 1999 —



ANNEX III
Directive 75/321/EEC Directive 98/39/EC This Directive
Article 1  Article 1
 Article 2 Article 2
Articles 3 and 4  Articles 3 and 4
Article 5(1)  —
Article 5(2)  Article 5
—  Article 6
—  Article 7
Article 6  Article 8
Annex  Annex I
—  Annex II
—  Annex III