A new format vehicle registration certificate, which replaced the vehicle registration certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners and the vehicle licensing certificate issued by my Department, was introduced in May 2004. This certificate is issued in accordance with EU Council Directive 1999/37/EC which specifies certain mandatory items which must be printed on the document. While year of manufacture is not a mandatory item and consequently does not appear on the current version of the vehicle registration certificate, member states have the discretion to include such additional items as they determine appropriate. In this regard I will give consideration to including the year of manufacture particulars when the certificate comes up for review early in 2005.