1.The manufacturer shall issue a certificate of conformity in paper format to accompany each vehicle, whether complete, incomplete or completed, that is manufactured in conformity with the approved type of vehicle. For that purpose, the manufacturer shall use the template set out in the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 4.
The certificate of conformity in paper format shall describe the main characteristics of the vehicle, as well as its technical performance in concrete terms. The certificate of conformity in paper format shall include the date of manufacture of the vehicle. The certificate of conformity in paper format shall be designed in such a way as to prevent forgery.
The certificate of conformity in paper format shall be delivered free of charge to the buyer, together with the vehicle. Its delivery may not be made dependent on an explicit request or on the submission of additional information to the manufacturer.
2.From 5 July 2026, the manufacturer shall be exempted from the obligation in paragraph 1 of this Article to issue the certificate of conformity in paper format to accompany each vehicle, where the manufacturer makes the certificate of conformity available as structured data in electronic format in accordance with the Article 37(1).
3.For a period of 10 years after the date of manufacture of the vehicle, the manufacturer shall, at the request of the vehicle owner, issue a duplicate of the certificate of conformity in paper format in return for a payment that does not exceed the cost of issuing the duplicate certificate. The word ‘duplicate’ shall be clearly visible on the face of any duplicate certificate.
4.The Commission shall adopt implementing acts concerning the certificate of conformity in paper format, setting out, in particular:
(a)the template for the certificate of conformity;
(b)the security elements to prevent forgery of the certificate of conformity; and
(c)the specification concerning the manner of signing of the certificate of conformity.
Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 83(2). The first such implementing act shall be adopted before 1 September 2020.
5.The certificate of conformity in paper format shall be drawn up in at least one of the official languages of the Union.
6.The person or persons authorised to sign certificates of conformity in paper format shall be employed by the manufacturer, and shall be duly authorised to engage the legal responsibility of the manufacturer with respect to the design and the construction of the vehicle or to the conformity of its production.
7.The certificate of conformity in paper format shall be completed in its entirety and shall not contain restrictions as regards the use of the vehicle other than those provided for in this Regulation or in any of the regulatory acts listed in Annex II.
8.In the case of an incomplete base vehicle, the manufacturer shall only fill in those fields of the certificate of conformity in paper format that are relevant in view of the state of completeness of the vehicle.
9.In the case of an incomplete or completed vehicle, the manufacturer shall only fill in those fields of the certificate of conformity in paper format that concern the additions or changes carried out at the current stage of approval and, where applicable, shall attach all certificates of conformity in paper format that were delivered at the previous stages.