Registration of vehicles' topcoat colour codes - Main contents

Document date	05-11-1999
Publication date	22-01-2013
Reference	11274/1/99 REV 1
From	Presidency
To	Police Co-operation Group
External link	original PDF
Original document in PDF

COUNCIL OF Brussels, 5 November 1999

THE EUROPEAN UNION

11274/1/99 REV 1

LIMITE

ENFOPOL 62

NOTE from : Presidency to : Police Co-operation Group No. prev. doc.: 11274/99 ENFOPOL 62 Subject : Registration of vehicles’ topcoat colour codes

• 1. 

  Introduction

The subject in question here refers to a Finnish Presidency initiative to draw up a common joint position for harmonising coding of vehicle topcoat colours by the EU authorities responsible for vehicular registration. The initiative itself includes an accurate description of the coding of such topcoat colours. The actual codes are those used in car industry, whilst the aim of the initiative is to ensure that the topcoat colours of the vehicles sold in the EU are officially registered in the Member States, as proposed by the initiative, using a code consisting of nine numbers. Vehicle manufacturers may continue to select codes for different colours in their own preferred fashion; i.e. they may for this purpose, use the codes currently attached to vehicles’ colour identification plates. There are seven numbers from which vehicle makers can select the necessary code. Additionally, a further two specifying numbers must be added to the code in order to facilitate a search from the register. The registration authorities are responsible for entering the colour code into the vehicle register. The proposed coding method is further described in Annex 1.

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN Currently, across the Member States, vehicle topcoat colours are primarily registered in relation to the base colour used. Thus where green is the base colour, though different tints and hues of green exist, and indeed are used by manufacturers for different vehicle models, the topcoat colour register entry will simply record that ‘green’ was used.

This initiative aims to improve upon the levels of accuracy and precision needed in the criminal investigation of cases involving circumstantial evidence, for example where chips of paint coating can be used in an evidentiary fashion. Such cases may include instances of ‘hit and run’ – where a driver knocks down a pedestrian yet fails to stop and offer assistance for fear of being apprehended. Additionally, flight from the scene of a traffic accident without permission, and situations where a car has been used in the process of carrying out other offences, also fall into this category.

European forensic laboratories have access to a large data base, enabling them to connect an individual chip of a paint coating to a certain vehicle make and model, in addition to identifying the code of the chip colour set up by the manufacturer. Once such a code has been identified in this way, the registration method proposed in the initiative could be used to facilitate speedy identification of the particular car concerned. On the basis of an individualised colour code, based on the paint chip colour, a search for information on the owner of the vehicle could then be made with much more accuracy than is currently possible.

In addition, the proposed registration of colour codes would facilitate the tabulation of statistical data on the occurrence of a certain colour being used in general, or in a particular locality. Such ‘forensic’ information would naturally be of major importance where an assessment has to be made over a particular suspects’ connection to a crime.

Furthermore, registration of vehicles’ topcoat colour codes would contribute to tracking of stolen vehicles. Identification of the exact colour of a stolen vehicle would enable the use of various technical supervision equipment for tracking stolen vehicles.

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN A working group subordinate to the EU Transport Council has, notwithstanding the above and in due order, drafted a directive concerning harmonised registration data on vehicles. The related Council work document number is 11408/1/98. The directive was adopted as point A, that is to say without discussion, at the Transport Council on 29 March 1999. The directive provides that a colour may be entered in a register but that it is not as such, compulsory information. The directive cannot however be further amended. Registration authorities across the different Member States may however continue to decide how a colour should be registered.

• 2. 

  Content

In some EU Member States (such as Germany and Finland), discussion between police forensic experts and the registration authorities illustrate that the latter are ready to apply the registration practice proposed, should the need for such a reform be generally acknowledged at the EU level and, naturally, where the codes proposed are available to the registration authorities. The codes (described above) are in fact those used in car industry, with the addition of two extra numbers for specification purposes.

To achieve such an objective, the Finnish presidency will first aim to acknowledge and accept, within the Police Co-operation Working Party, the need for the harmonised registration of vehicle topcoat colour codes in countries where the representatives of national forensic laboratories have found it necessary to apply the registration method proposed. Under the Finnish Presidency, the members of the Police Co-operation Working Party, and the experts in vehicle paint matters from national forensic laboratories, will discuss the need for such coding at the national level, and inform the national registration authorities of the initiative should the need referred to in the initiative be jointly acknowledged.

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN In addition, experts in vehicle paint matters from the national forensic laboratories will also establish what the current procedures are for conveying compulsory registration data between manufacturers/importers and authorities, and whether such procedures can be used for acquiring colour codes for registration authorities. Indeed, progress in this area has already been made, with a representative of the Finnish Presidency’s forensic laboratory having already initiated a programme of work in this area.

In Finland, the registration authority receives the compulsory information on vehicles at the same time as it receives their certificates of conformity. The colour codes referred to in the initiative could thus also be communicated in this context.

• 3. 

  Proposed action

The background to, and the objectives of the initiative will subsequently be explained to the members of the Police Co-operation Working Group in greater detail. They will also be given the above mentioned assignments. Moreover, a common joint position on the need for such action will be adopted. The Finnish Presidency will attempt to ascertain whether it will be possible to use the comitology procedure provided for in Article 7 of directive 1999/37/EC i.

_______________

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN Appendix 1

9-place colour code

1 st - 7 th place: Seven characters (numbers or letters) used to encode surface paint colours. The

use of the manufacturer's colour code Indicated on the vehicle identification plate is suggested.

8 th place: This place is used to indicate whether the paint in question is a uniform surface

paint or a special-effect paint (metallic, pearl-effect, etc.),

S = Solid Paint E = Effect Paint

9 th place: Entry of the basic colour using the numbers O - 9.

O= white 1= yellow 2= orange 3= red 4= violet 5= blue 6= green 7=grey 8= Brown 9= black

Example 1:

Make of automobile: Honda

Paint colour (surface-coat): Steel Grey Metallic

Colour code on ID-plate: H535M

Colourcode using 9-place identifier: 0NH535ME7

Example:2

Make of Automobile: Toyota

Paint colour (surface-coat: Super White 11

Colour code on ID plate: 040

Colour code using 9-place identifier: 0000040S0

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN Example 3: Make of Automobile: Mitsubishi Paint colour (surface-coat): Rubens Maroon Colour code on ID-plate: R12

Colour code using 9-place identifier: 0000R12S3

Example 4:

Make of Automobile: As only a paint smear was recovered, the colour could not be reliably identified.

Paint colour surface coat: dark -blue metallic

Colour code on ID-plate: no information

Colour code using 9-place identifier: 0000000E5

Example 5:

Make of Automobile: As only a paint smear was recovered, the colour could not be reliably identified.

paint colour (surface-coat): solid colour, beige colour code on ID- plate: no information

Colour code using 9-place identifier: 0000000S1

______________

11274/1/99 REV 1 JG/vj EN