Belgium Capitulates to Euro Plate Conformity

It is somewhat surprising that Belgium - the home of the European parliament itself - should become the last state to adopt the Union's vehicle registration standards.

The change is set to take place in July 2010, coinciding with commencement the commencement of the country's term in the rotating presidency.

The most noticeable innovation will be the abandonment of the traditional red characters in favour of the approved black letters and numbers.

Registrations will, in future, comprise seven characters and the new plates will include the 'B' for Belgium within the Union's circle of stars. It seems unlikely, however, that the concessions secured by the UK - which allow for a national flag or emblem to replace the representation of the EU flag - will be permitted.

Motorist will, naturally, have to stump up for the cost of the changeover, although the exact cost has yet to be determined.

Uniquely, number plates in Belgium are currently driver-specific. So, you automatically retain your registration when you change your vehicle. It is not clear how this system operates when you own more than one car. Neither is is apparent how this substantially different approach will be addressed by the introduction of the new scheme

Perhaps even more perversely, under the present arrangements, the rear plate is supplied by the licensing agency whilst the front plate has to be obtained privately and can, consequently, vary significantly in style and design.

At present the rear plate has to be accompanied by a 'B' logo on separate but adjacent plate to the right of the registration itself. Moreover, it is usual for the car dealer to display yet another small adverising plate on the left. As a consequence, there are many instances of new cars bearng rather distressed-looking registration plates salvaged from a previous vehicle.

Another interesting idiosyncrasy of the old plates is that no exact geographic reference can currently be derived from a registration. It seems likely that the increased number of characters is intended to rectify this omission.

Belgian motorists have already had to cope with a revised version of the old system since the former three letters and three number series had, rather inconveniently, decided to expire and had to be reversed only last year.

The latest upheavals will finally see the end of a particularly quaint and historic method of indexing which is certain to be missed, particularly in the homeland of Ferdinand Verbiest - commonly credited with the invention of the automobile itself.

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