NoL197/46 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 17.7.73
COMMISSION OPINION
of2May1973
addressedtotheGovernmentoftheKingdomofBelgiumonanamendmenttotwo
provisionsofArticle57oftheRoyalDecreeof14March1968makinggeneralprovisions
fortheroadtrafficpolicy
(73/201/EEC)
axletrailersfrom8mto10mincaseswherethe
permissiblemaximumweightisgreaterthan2500kg.
Thereisnoreferencetothisspecialtypeofvehicle
intheCommissionproposal(2)of21June1971for
aCouncilDirectiverelatingtotheweightsand
dimensionsofcommercialroadvehiclesandtocer­
tainsupplementary technicalrequirements .InaccordancewithArticle1oftheCouncilDecision
(')of21March1962institutingaprocedureforprior
examinationandconsultationinrespectofcertain
laws,Regulationsandadministrative provisionscon­
cerningtransportproposedinMemberStates,the
BelgianGovernmentcommunicated totheCom­
mission,byletterof22March1973fromits
PermanentRepresentative totheEuropeanCom­
munities,theamendmentswhichitsproposesto
maketotwoprovisionsofArticle57oftheRoyal
Decreeof14March1968makinggeneralprovisions
fortheroadtrafficpolicy.
TheletterfromthePermanentRepresentative reached
theCommissionon27March1973andtheBelgian
Government hasalsoinformedtheotherMember
Statesoftheproposedamendments .
TheCommissiondidnotconsideritnecessaryto
consulttheotherMemberStatespursuantto
Article2(3)oftheCouncilDecisionof
21March1962.Moreover,theCommissionhasnotsofarsubmitted
anyharmonizedrequirementsforthistypeofvehicle
inpursuanceof2.4.1ofAnnexIIoftheCouncil
Directive(3)of6February1970ontheapproxi­
mationofthelawsoftheMemberStatesrelating
tothetype-approval ofmotorvehiclesandtheir
trailers.
TheCommissionconsidersthatinthecaseinpoint
theamendmenttotheexistingBelgianRegulations,
whichtendstoconformtotheRegulationsofother
countriesoftheCommonMarket,doesnotcreatea
situationcontrarytoCommunityinterests.Itnever­
thelessdrawstheattentionoftheBelgianGovern­
menttothefactthattheadoptionofCommunity
rulesonweightsanddimensionsofvehicles,andin
particularontheirlengthinrelationtotheturning
circlerequirementsofcombinationsofvehiclescon­
sistingofasingleaxletrailer,maynecessitatesome
adjustmenttotheprovisionsnowbeingproposed.PursuanttoArticle2oftheCouncilDecisionof
21March1962,theCommissiondeliversthefollow­
ingOpinion:
1.TheproposedamendmentsrelatetoArticle57
(2.1)(1°)(maximumlengthofsingleaxletrailers)
andArticle57(2.2)(1°)(maximumlengthofacom­
binationmadeupofatractorandasemi-trailer )of
theRoyalDecreeof14March1968citedabove.That
Articlemakesprovisionrelatingtothedimensions
ofvehicles.3.AmendmentofArticle57(2.2)(1)
2.AmendmenttoArticle57(2.1)(1)TheCommissionnotesthattheproposedamendment
isintendedtoincreasethemaximumlengthofa
combinationmadeupofatractorandasemi-trailer
from15to15-50m. TheCommissionnotesthattheproposedamendment
isintendedtoincreasethemaximumlengthofsingle
(2)OJNoC90,11.9.1971,p.25.
(3)OJNoL42,23.2.1970,p.1. OOJNo23,3.4.1962,p.720/62.

17.7.73 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL197/47
II
4.Inconclusion,theCommissionfindsnoobjec­
tionstotheamendmentsproposedbytheBelgian
Government .
5.TheCommissionwillinformtheotherMember
StatesofthisOpinion.Thisamendment isinaccordancewiththerelevant
provisionoftheCommissionproposalof21June
1971referredtounder2above.Itisalsoinaccord­
ancewiththeCouncilguidelinesformulatedonthe
matterduringthemeetingheldon17and18May
1972andrepeatedatthemeetingheldon6and7
November1972.
TheCommission considersthattheintroduction of
theamendmentrelatingtothelengthofarticulated
vehiclesproposedbytheBelgianGovernmentisnot
thereforelikelytoprejudicethefindingofaCom­
munitysolution,eventhoughnegotiationsareat
presentgoingonbetweenthenineMemberStates
withaviewtoreachinganagreementonweights
anddimensions .DoneatBrussels,2May1973.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
Francois-Xavier ORTOLI