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COM(73)890
Vol.1973/0164

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(73)890final
Brussels,4June1973
OPINIONOFTHECOMMISSION
of4June1973
addressedtotheGovernmentoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands
regardinganamendmenttoArticle65oftheamendedorder
of28August1950regulatingroadtraffic
(Wegenverkeersreglement )
OOM(73)890final

OPOTTQIT OF
:iff4Jtttie' 1973
addressed tothe Government oftheKingdom oftheNetherlands regarding
anamendment toArticle 65oftheamended order of28August 1950 ,
regulating road traffic (Wegenverkeersreglement )
Inaccordance with the first Article ofthe Council Decision of21
March 1962 which setupapreliminary examination andconsultation proce­
dure for certain legislative provisions ,regulations orstatutory re­
quirements proposed bytheMember States inthefield oftransport"' ",the
Dutch Government ,through itsPermanent Representative attached tothe
European Communities ,informed theCommission ,byletter dated 25April
1973 »oftheamendments which itintended tointroduce toArticle 65and
totheamended order of28August 1950 regulating road transport .
Theletter from the Permanent Representative reached the Commission
on3May 1973 and the Dutch Government also informed the other Member
States oftheproposed amendments .
TheCommission did not consider itnecessary toinitiate consultation
with theother Member States ,inthesense ofArticle 2(3 )oftheCouncil
Decision of21March 1962 .
I.
Under Article 2ofthe Council Decision of21March 1962 theCommission
has formulated thefollowing opinion :
1.Theproposed amendments concern theprovisions ofArticle 65sub­
paragraph (e)and (g)I under 1oftheamended order of28August 1950 ,
regulating road traffic .This Article prescribes thetechnical conditions
relating toequipping andloading motor vehicles and their trailers .
./•
TQJTTo23.3,April 1^62 p.720

2.Arti_cle _65j _(e)_I_-a_me_ndm_ent of _tiie___m_axiraum length ofasingle-
axle trailer
The Commission notes that theproposed amendment aims toincrease the
maximum length ofsingle-axle trailers from 8mto10m,aslong asthe
maximum authorized weight isover 2,500 kg.
This special type ofvehicle isnotmentioned intheCommission 's
proposal of21June 1971 foraCouncil Directive relating totheweight
and size ofcommercial road vehicles and also tocertain supplementary
technical conditions ^".
Moreover theCommission has not yet put forward anyharmonized pro­
visions which might relate tothis type ofvehicle ,inaccordance with
point 2.k.l ofAnnex IIBtotheCouncil Directive of6February 1970 re­
garding theharmonization ofMember States' legislation relating tothe
2registration ofmotor vehicles and totheir trailers .
For the case inpoint the Commission considers that anamendment to
the existing Dutch regulations ,with aview toaligning them tothe re­
gulations oftheother Common Market countries ,does not create asituation
which iscontrary toCommunity interests .However theCommission points
out that thesingle-axle trailer isonly one ofthe twoelements forming
thecomplete vehicle ;theCommission therefore draws theDutch Govern­
ment 'sattention tothefact that theadoption ofaCommunity solution as
regards theweights and size ofthe vehicles ,and more particularly re­
lating tothelength and thecurve-taking characteristics ofcompound
vehicles ,could necessitate alteration oftheprovisions nowproposed .
3.Article ^65 ,subparagraph g)Iunder 1-amendment inthemaximum length
ofanarticulate d_vehicle _comjposed_jojfa_towing vehicle and asemi-
axle trailer
TheCommission has established that theproposed amendment aims toin­
crease themaximum length ofavehicle composed ofatowing vehicle and
asemi-trailer from 15mto15°5Qfi *
OJNoC90,11September 1971 ,p.25.
OJNoLk2,2?February 1970 ,p.1.

-3-
This anendment isinaccordance with theprovision onthis subject
intheCommission 'sproposal of21June 1971 ,quoted under 2above .It
isalso inaccordance with theCouncil guidelines onthesubject ,which
were formulated atthemeetings of1?andl8May1972 andrepeated at
themeetings on6and 7November 1972 .
TheCommission considers that theapplication oftheDutch Govern­
ment 'sproposed modification relating tothelength ofthearticulated
vehicle is,not ,inthese circumstances ,likely toimpede research into
aCommunity solution ,even though negotiations between thenine Member
States are continuing atthepresent time inorder toreach agreement
onthe weight and dimensions .
II.
b.Toconclude ,theCommission does notraise anyobjections tothe
amendments proposed bytheDutch Government .
5.The Commission informs the other Member States ofthis opinion .
Done atBrussels ,4June 1973
For the Commission
The President
Franco is~Xavi erORTOLI
i