# CE2004078EN.01017102.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/171 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/171

---

(2004/C 78 E/0176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2810/03

by Ari Vatanen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 September 2003)

Subject:   Allowing longer truck combinations in Europe

Subject:

Finland and Sweden are allowed to use vehicles up to 25,25 m in length on their territories. This has proved very effective and safe.

The benefits of longer trucks are multiple:

| — | less fuel consumption |
| --- | --- |

—

less fuel consumption

| — | less emissions per tonne km |
| --- | --- |

—

less emissions per tonne km

| — | less room taken on the roads |
| --- | --- |

—

less room taken on the roads

| — | less tear and wear of the road network |
| --- | --- |

—

less tear and wear of the road network

| — | lower transport costs and thus lower prices for consumers |
| --- | --- |

—

lower transport costs and thus lower prices for consumers

More specifically, in a study made by the Swedish Road Administration (Vägverket) in connection with the so-called Extra Project it was concluded that the large trucks make unnecessary approximately one third of journeys and reduce total costs by 23 %.

Already now modular solutions (motor vehicle coupled to two modules of 13,6 m and 7,82 m) are allowed in the EU. However, for the better functioning of the internal market it would be logical to permit the use of the Finnish and Swedish types in the entire EU. Naturally there may be roads where such long combinations prove difficult but this should obviously not preclude their use on the rest of the road network.

| 1. | Does the Commission acknowledge the benefits of the truck lengths used in Finland and Sweden and the market inefficiencies the current system leads to? |
| --- | --- |

1.

Does the Commission acknowledge the benefits of the truck lengths used in Finland and Sweden and the market inefficiencies the current system leads to?

| 2. | If it does, how and when will the Commission act in order to ensure that these benefits are extended to the rest of the European Union? |
| --- | --- |

2.

If it does, how and when will the Commission act in order to ensure that these benefits are extended to the rest of the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2003)

(10 October 2003)

The Commission is aware of the fact that the use of long vehicles could contribute to a more efficient transport of goods. Although the modular concept is allowed in the Union, Member States have not made any use of this possibility except for some limited experiments such as in the Netherlands. Reasons could be that it is not yet clear how such vehicles will impact on road safety under different traffic and road conditions nor how their use would affect the distribution of the transport of goods between the various modes.

The Commission has the intention to organise a meeting in the beginning of 2004 with Member States' experts in the field of vehicle weights and dimensions to discuss the need for any change to the existing related Community legislation.

---