Functional safety
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/208 addresses steering, field of vision, driver controls, protective structures, guarding, coupling and other construction safety topics.
Approval Atlas / Frameworks / Agricultural tractors
Framework file 02
Tractors are tools, and vehicles.
Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 creates the type-approval and market-surveillance framework for agricultural and forestry vehicles, including tractors, trailers and interchangeable towed equipment.
01 / Scope & architecture
Designed around work, not just roads.
The tractor framework recognises that a vehicle's safety envelope is shaped by its implements, working speeds, axle loads and use in agricultural or forestry environments. It combines whole-vehicle approval with requirements for systems and components.
TWheeled tractors
CTracked tractors
R / STrailers & equipment
01
Whole-vehicle type-approval
Confirms the vehicle type and its systems meet the requirements for the intended category, speed and operating conditions.
02
Step-by-step delegated acts
167/2013 is completed by delegated acts that detail braking, functional safety, environmental performance and construction requirements.
03
Interchangeable equipment matters
Trailed machinery and equipment can affect coupling, dimensions, lighting, braking and stability. The interface is part of the compliance conversation.
04
National registration interface
EU approval provides the technical basis; registration, use restrictions and road permissions can still involve national rules.
02 / Vehicle families
Four letters, distinct operating envelopes.
The letter category is only the start. Speed, construction, track arrangement and intended function determine which technical route applies.
| Category | Vehicle family | Reading cue |
|---|---|---|
| T | Wheeled tractors | Tractors designed primarily for agricultural or forestry work, with variants differentiated by maximum design speed and axle arrangement. |
| C | Tracked tractors | Tractors propelled by endless tracks, including rubber-track configurations and their specific ground-contact characteristics. |
| R | Agricultural trailers | Towed vehicles intended mainly to carry loads or process materials in agricultural or forestry work. |
| S | Interchangeable towed equipment | Equipment towed behind a tractor, where its function is central to classification and technical requirements. |
03 / Technical requirements
The delegated-act stack.
A tractor compliance matrix normally pulls requirements from the framework regulation and its supporting acts. The acts below are the core starting points for a technical review.
Braking
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/68 sets detailed requirements for service, secondary and parking braking, including trailers and combinations.
Environmental performance
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/96 covers pollutant emissions and external sound level requirements for engines and vehicles in scope.
Project checkpoint
Confirm whether a machine is a tractor, trailer or interchangeable towed equipment before selecting tests. The same physical interface can lead to different obligations depending on its declared function and category.