G/TBT/N/EU/109  
 
24 May 2013  
(13-2748)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :   
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Heavy 
goods vehicles, long distance coaches and urban buses. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposal for a 
Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 96/53/EC of 
25 July 1996 laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the 
maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic (COM(2013) 195 final) (18 pages in English). 
6. Description of content:  This proposal for a new directive updates directive 96/53/EC 
on the maximum dimensions and weights of heavy goods vehicles and coaches travelling on European roads.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The main issue to be solved is the fuel efficiency of road transport, together 
with the need to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by trucks and coaches. A 
second issue is also to improve enforcement in relation to offences, as the previous 
directive does not contain any provision on that matter - Protection of the environment. 
8. Relevant documents:    
Council Directive 96/53/EC of 25 July 1996 laying down for certain road vehicles 
circulating within the Community the maximum authorized dimensions in national and 
international traffic and the maximum authorized weights in international traffic (OJ L 
235, 17.9.1996, p. 59-75)  http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1996:235:0059:0075:EN:PDF  
Further information can be found at the website of DG MOVE: 
http://ec.europa.eu/transport  
   G/TBT/N/EU/109 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    To be determined 20 days from publicat ion in the Official 
Journal of the EU 
10. Final date for comments:  90 days from notification 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [ ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website : http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  and  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0195:FIN:EN:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0195:FIN:FR:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0195:FIN:ES:PDF  
and 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2013/tbt/eec/13_2012_00_e.pdf