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
Date: 1996-07-25

num: Article 1
title: 1. This Directive applies to:
paragraphs: (a) the dimensions of motor vehicles in categories M2, M3 and N2 and N3 and their trailers in categories 03 and 04, as defined in Annex II to Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (7);
(b) the weights and certain other characteristics of the vehicles defined in (a) and specified in Annex I (2) to this Directive.
2. All the values of weights indicated in Annex I are valid as circulation standards and thus refer to loading conditions, not production standards, which will be defined in a later Directive.
num: Article 2
paragraphs: For the purposes of this Directive:
- 'motor vehicle` shall mean any power-driven vehicle which travels on the road by its own means,
- 'trailer` shall mean any vehicle intended to be coupled to a motor vehicle excluding semi-trailers, and constructed and equipped for the carriage of goods,
- 'semi-trailer` shall mean any vehicle intended to be coupled to a motor vehicle in such a way that part of it rests on the motor vehicle with a substantial part of its weight and of the weight of its load being borne by the motor vehicle, and constructed and equipped for the carriage of goods,
- 'vehicle combination` shall mean either:
- a road train consisting of a motor vehicle coupled to a trailer; or
- an articulated vehicle consisting of a motor vehicle coupled to a semi-trailer,
- 'conditioned vehicle` shall mean any vehicle whose fixed or movable superstructures are specially equipped for the carriage of goods at controlled temperatures and whose side walls, inclusive of insulation, are each at least 45 mm thick,
- 'bus` shall mean a vehicle with more than nine seats including the driver's seat, constructed and equipped to carry passengers and their luggage. It may have one or two decks and may also draw a luggage trailer,
- 'articulated bus` shall mean a bus consisting of two rigid sections connected to each other by an articulated section. On this type of vehicle the passenger compartments in each of the two rigid sections shall be intercommunicating. The articulated section shall permit the free movement of travellers between the rigid sections. Connection and disconnection of the two sections shall be possible only in a workshop,
- 'maximum authorized dimensions` shall mean the maximum dimensions for use of a vehicle, as laid down in Annex I to this Directive,
- 'maximum authorized weight` shall mean the maximum weight for use of a laden vehicle in international traffic,
- 'maximum authorized axle weight` shall mean the maximum weight for use in international traffic of a laden axle or group of axles,
- 'indivisible load` shall mean a load that cannot, for the purpose of carriage by road, be divided into two or more loads without undue expense or risk of damage and which owing to its dimensions or mass cannot be carried by a motor vehicle, trailer, road train or articulated vehicle complying with this Directive in all respects,
- 'tonne` shall mean the weight executed by the mass of a tonne and shall correspond to 9,8 kilonewtons (kN),
All maximum authorized dimensions specified in Annex I shall be measured in accordance with Annex I to Directive 70/156/EEC, with no positive tolerances.
num: Article 3
paragraphs: 1. A Member State may not reject or prohibit the use in its territory:
- in international traffic, of vehicles registered or put into circulation in any other Member State for reasons relating to their weights and dimensions,
- in national traffic, of goods vehicles registered or put into circulation in any other Member State for reasons relating to their dimensions,
provided that such vehicles comply with the limit values specified in Annex I.
This provision shall apply notwithstanding the fact that:
(a) the said vehicles are not in conformity with the requirements of that Member State with regard to certain weight and dimension characteristics not covered by Annex I;
(b) the competent authority of the Member State in which the vehicles are registered or put into circulation has authorized limits not referred to in Article 4 (1) exceeding those laid down in Annex I.
2. However, paragraph 1 (a) shall not affect the right of Member States, with due regard to Community law, to require vehicles registered or put into circulation in their own territory to be in conformity with their national requirements on weight and dimension characteristics not covered by Annex I.
3. Member States may require conditioned vehicles to carry an ATP certificate or ATP certification plate provided for in the Agreement of 1 September 1970 on the international carriage of perishable foodstuffs and on the special equipment to be used for such carriage.
num: Article 4
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall not allow the normal circulation of vehicles or vehicle combinations for the national transport of goods in their territory which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 to 1.8, 4.2 and 4.4 of Annex I.
2. Member States may nonetheless allow circulation in their territory of vehicles or vehicle combinations for the national transport of goods freight which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in 1.3, 2, 3, 4.1 and 4.3 of Annex I.
3. Vehicles or vehicle combinations which exceed the maximum dimensions may only be allowed to circulate on the basis of special permits issued without discrimination by the competent authorities, or on the basis of similar non-discriminatory arrangements agreed on a case-by-case basis with those authorities, where these vehicles or vehicle combinations carry or are intended to carry indivisible loads.
4. Member States may allow vehicles or vehicle combinations used for goods transport which carry out certain national transport operations that do not significantly affect international competition in the transport sector to circulate in their territory with dimensions deviating from those laid down in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 to 1.8, 4.2 and 4.4 of Annex I.
Transport operations shall be considered not significantly to affect international competition in the transport sector if one of the conditions under (a) and (b) is fulfilled:
(a) the transport operations are carried out in a Member State's territory by specialized vehicles or specialized vehicle combinations in circumstances in which they are not normally carried out by vehicles from other Member States, e.g. operations linked to logging and the forestry industry;
(b) the Member State which permits transport operations to be carried out in its territory by vehicles or vehicle combinations with dimensions deviating from those laid down in Annex I also permits motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers which comply with the dimensions laid down in Annex I to be used in such combinations as to achieve at least the loading length authorized in that Member State, so that every operator may benefit from equal conditions of competition (modular concept).
The Member State concerned which has to adapt its road infrastructure in order to be able to fulfil the condition under (b) may nevertheless prohibit, until 31 December 2003 at the latest, the circulation in its territory, in national goods transport operations, of vehicles or vehicle combinations which exceed current national standards on dimensions, provided that national legislation continues to apply to all Community carriers in a non-discriminatory manner.
The Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken pursuant to this paragraph.
5. Member States may allow vehicles or vehicle combinations incorporating new technologies or new concepts which cannot comply with one or more requirements of this Directive to carry out certain local transport operations for a trial period. Member States shall inform the Commission thereof.
6. Member States may allow vehicles or vehicle combinations used for goods transport and registered or put into circulation before the implementation of this Directive to circulate in their territory until 31 December 2006 with dimensions exceeding those laid down in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 to 1.8, 4.2 and 4.4 of Annex I by virtue of differing national provisions or methods of measurement.
num: Article 5
paragraphs: Without prejudice to Article 4 (6):
(a) articulated vehicles put into circulation before 1 January 1991 which do not comply with the specifications contained in points 1.6 and 4.4 of Annex I shall be deemed to comply with such specifications for the purposes of Article 3 if they do not exceed a total length of 15,50 m;
(b) road trains, the motor vehicle of which was put into circulation before 31 December 1991 and which do not comply with the specifications contained in points 1.7 and 1.8 of Annex I, shall until 31 December 1998 be deemed to comply with such specifications for the purposes of Article 3 if they do not exceed a total length of 18,00 m.
num: Article 6
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that Article 1 vehicles referred to in Article 1 and complying with this Directive carry one of the proofs referred to in (a), (b) and (c):
(a) a combination of the following two plates:
- the 'manufacturer's plate` established and attached in accordance with Directive 76/114/EEC (8),
- the plate relating to dimensions, in accordance with Annex III, established and attached in accordance with Directive 76/114/EEC;
(b) a single plate established and attached in accordance with Directive 76/114/EEC and containing the information on the two plates referred to in (a);
(c) a single document issued by the competent authorities of the Member State in which the vehicle is registered or put into circulation. Such document shall bear the same headings and information as the plates referred to in (a). It shall be kept in a place easily accessible to inspection and shall be adequately protected.
2. If the characteristics of the vehicle no longer correspond to those indicated on the proof of compliance, the Member State in which the vehicle is registered shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the proof of compliance is altered.
3. The plates and documents referred to in paragraph 1 shall be recognized by the Member States as the proof of vehicle compliance provided for in this Directive.
4. Vehicles carrying proof of compliance may be subject:
- as regards common standards on weights, to random checks,
- as regards common standards on dimensions, only to checks where there is a suspicion of non-compliance with this Directive.
5. The middle column of the proof of compliance relating to weights shall contain, where appropriate, the Community weight standards applicable to the vehicle in question. As regards vehicles referred to in point 2.2.2 (c) of Annex I, the entry '44 tonnes` shall be included in brackets under the maximum authorized weight of the vehicle combination.
6. Each Member State may decide, in respect of any vehicle registered or put into circulation in its territory, that the maximum weights authorized by its national legislation shall be indicated in the proof of compliance in the left-hand column and the technically permissible weights in the right-hand column.
num: Article 7
paragraphs: This Directive shall not preclude the application of road traffic provisions in force in each Member State which permit the weight and/or dimensions of vehicles on certain roads or civil engineering structures to be limited, irrespective of the State of registration of such vehicles.
num: Article 8
paragraphs: Article 3 shall not apply in Ireland and the United Kingdom until 31 December 1998:
(a) as regards the standards referred to in points 2.2, 2.3.1, 2.3.3, 2.4 and 3.3.2 of Annex I:
- with the exception of the articulated vehicles referred to in point 2.2.2 where:
(i) the total laden weight does not exceed 38 tonnes;
(ii) the weight on any tri-axle at the spacing specified in point 3.3.2 does not exceed 22,5 tonnes,
- with the exception of the vehicles referred to in points 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.3 and 2.4, where the total laden weight does not exceed:
(i) 35 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in points 2.2.3 and 2.2.4;
(ii) 17 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.3.1;
(iii) 30 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.3.3, subject to compliance with the conditions specified in that point and in point 4.3;
(iv) 27 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.4,
(b) as regards the standard referred to in point 3.4 of Annex I, with the exception of the vehicles referred to in points 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4, where the weight per driving axle does not exceed 10,5 tonnes.
num: Article 3 shall not apply in Ireland and the United Kingdom until 31 December 1998:
paragraphs: (a) as regards the standards referred to in points 2.2, 2.3.1, 2.3.3, 2.4 and 3.3.2 of Annex I:
- with the exception of the articulated vehicles referred to in point 2.2.2 where:
(i) the total laden weight does not exceed 38 tonnes;
(ii) the weight on any tri-axle at the spacing specified in point 3.3.2 does not exceed 22,5 tonnes,
- with the exception of the vehicles referred to in points 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.3 and 2.4, where the total laden weight does not exceed:
(i) 35 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in points 2.2.3 and 2.2.4;
(ii) 17 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.3.1;
(iii) 30 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.3.3, subject to compliance with the conditions specified in that point and in point 4.3;
(iv) 27 tonnes for the vehicles referred to in point 2.4,
(b) as regards the standard referred to in point 3.4 of Annex I, with the exception of the vehicles referred to in points 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4, where the weight per driving axle does not exceed 10,5 tonnes.
num: Article 9
paragraphs: As regards the standard referred to in point 1.2 (a) of Annex I, a Member State may reject or prohibit the use in its territory, until 31 December 1999, of buses with a width exceeding 2,5 m.
Member States shall inform the Commission of the measures taken pursuant to this Article. The Commission shall inform the other Member States thereof.
num: Article 10
paragraphs: The Directive listed in Annex IV, Part A, shall be repealed with effect from the date in Article 11, without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States concerning the deadlines for transposition set out in Annex IV, Part B.
References to the repealed Directives shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table set out in Annex V.
num: Article 11
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 17 September 1997. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of domestic law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
num: Article 12
paragraphs: This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.