15. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 322/11 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Directive on vocational training for certain drivers of vehicles carrying 
dangerous goods by road 
COM(88) 339 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 23 June 1988) 
(88/C 322/11) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas over the years national or international services 
carrying dangerous goods by road have been growing, 
adding to the risk of accidents; 
Whereas road accidents involving dangerous goods can 
be disastrous; 
Whereas it is in the public interest to reduce as far as 
possible the risk of such accidents with their potential of 
causing perhaps irreversible damage to the environment 
and seriously injuring the vehicle crew or anyone else 
coming into contact with the goods; 
Whereas, in terms of the environment, once dangerous 
goods have entered the environment it is sometimes 
extremely difficult and costly to avoid pollution of 
waterways, groundwater or other water bodies; whereas, 
therefore, efforts must concentrate on the means of 
avoiding as far as possible, conditions likely to cause 
accidents of this type; 
Whereas experience has shown that many accidents 
involving vehicles carrying dangerous goods are caused 
by an insufficient knowledge of the risks inherent in the 
carriage of such goods on the part of the vehicle crews 
and therefore, every effort must be made to improve the 
professional qualifications of vehicle crews; Whereas the driver plays the preponderant role in the 
carriage of dangerous goods, by carrying out and super­
vising the entire operation; whereas it is for the driver to 
reduce the accident risk at all times and, if an accident 
nonetheless occurs, to take the immediate safety 
measures needed to protect himself, other road users, 
any other potential victim and the environment in 
general; 
Whereas, therefore, steps must be taken to make drivers 
of vehicles carrying dangerous goods aware of the risks 
posed by the nature of the goods carried and to develop 
their practical ability to find the most appropriate 
solutions to any problem which arises in the course of 
such operations; whereas, therefore, steps must be taken 
to promote and develop their vocational training and to 
gear it to operations of this type; 
Whereas no international convention or agreement 
imposes vocational training for the carriage of dangerous 
goods by road, except for certain international services 
in tanks, batteries of receptacles and tank-containers 
with a total capacity of over 3 000 litres per transport 
unit; 
Whereas there is no, or no adequate, obligation 
requiring satisfactory vocational training for all carriage 
of dangerous goods and, in view of the prospect of 
deregulation of the transport market with effect from 
1992, all the necessary measures must be taken to make 
not only international but also domestic services carrying 
such goods safer, since both categories pose the same 
risks; 
Whereas vocational training for drivers of vehicles 
carrying dangerous goods is a capital gain since fully 
qualified crews are a big asset for haulage undertakings 
in that they win customer loyalty, improve vehicle 
turn-round and utilization, reduce insurance premiums, 
No C 322/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 12. 88 
and, in short, enhance the productivity of services 
carrying dangerous goods by road, in the interest not 
only of haulage undertakings but also of the public in 
general and of the labour market in particular; 
Whereas with a view, inter alia, to promoting 
Community-wide harmonized systems for training 
drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, stan­
dardized training programmes should be introduced for 
such drivers, using modern methods generally geared to 
active learning by the participants. 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
Objective 
1. The objective of this Directive is to require drivers 
of: 
(1) vehicles with a permissible maximum weight of over 
3,5 tonnes and carrying dangerous goods; 
(2) tank-vehicles with a total capacity of over 3 000 
litres and carrying dangerous goods; 
(3) transport units carrying dangerous goods in tanks or 
tank-containers with a total capacity of over 3 000 
litres, 
to hold a vocational training certificate or equivalent 
document issued by the authority or body designated for 
this purpose by each Member State and confirming that 
they have succesfully completed appropriate training on 
the carriage of dangerous goods by road. 
2. Each Member State may lower the thresholds set in 
paragraph 1 for some or all categories of dangerous 
goods for national services on its territory or for inter­
national services in vehicles registered in that Member 
State. 
Article 2 
Definitions 
For the purposes of this Directive: 
1. 'carriage by road' means any journey made on roads 
open to the public by a vehicle used for the carriage 
of dangerous goods; 
2. 'driver' means any person who drives the vehicle even 
for a short period or who is carried in the vehicle in 
order to be available for driving if necessary; 
3. 'vehicles' means motor vehicles, tractors, trailers and 
semi-trailers, defined as follows: (a) 'motor vehicle': any mechanically self-propelled 
vehicle circulating on the road, other than a 
vehicle running on rails, and normally used for 
carrying goods; 
(b) 'tractor': any mechanically self-propelled vehicle 
circulating on the road, other than a vehicle 
running on rails, and specially designed to pull, 
push or move trailers, semi-trailers, implements or 
machines; 
(c) 'trailer': any vehicle designed to be coupled to a 
motor vehicle or a tractor; 
(d) 'semi-trailer': a trailer without a front axle 
coupled in such a way that a substantial part of its 
weight and of the weight of its load is borne by 
the tractor or motor vehicle; 
4. 'permissible maximum weight' means the maximum 
authorized operating weight of the vehicle fully laden; 
5. 'tank-vehicle' means a vehicle built to carry liquids, 
gases, or powdery or granular substances and 
comprising one or more fixed tanks, which are struc­
turally attached to or form an integral part of the 
frame of the vehicle; 
6. 'transport unit' means a motor vehicle without an 
attached trailer, or a combination of a motor vehicle 
and an attached trailer; 
7. 'tank', when used alone, means a tank-container or a 
tank of a capacity exceeding 1 m3 which may be a 
fixed tank, a demountable tank or a battery of recep­
tacles, defined as follows: 
(a) 'container' means an article of transport 
equipment (lift van, demountable tank or other 
similar structure), 
— of a permanent character and accordingly 
strong enough to be suitable for repeated use, 
— especially designed to facilitate the carriage of 
goods by one or more means of transport, 
without breakage of load, 
— fitted with devices permitting the ready 
handling, particularly when being transloaded 
from one means of transport to another; 
(b) 'tank-container' means an article of transport 
equipment conforming to the definition of 
'container' given above and built to contain 
liquid, gaseous, powdery or granular substances 
but having a capacity of more than 0,45 cubic 
metres; 
15. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 322/13 
(c) 'fixed tank' means a tank, which is structurally 
attached to a vehicle (which then becomes a tank-
vehicle) or is an integral part of the frame of such 
a vehicle; 
(d) 'demountable tank' means a tank, other than a 
fixed tank, a tank-container or a battery of recep­
tacles, which has a capacity of over 1 m3, is not 
designed for the carriage of goods without 
breakage of load, and normally cannot be 
handled except when it is empty; 
(e) 'battery of receptacles' means an assembly 
comprising a number of receptacles or tanks inter­
connected by a manifold and permanently 
mounted on a frame. Article 4 
Vocational training 
1. The training which the drivers referred to in Article 
1 required in order to obtain a certificate of competence 
shall be given in the form of a course approved by the 
competent authority. The essential objectives shall be to 
make all concerned aware of the risks inherent in the 
carriage of dangerous goods and impart the basic 
knowledge needed to minimize the chance of an incident 
occurring, and, if one does occur, to take the measures 
necessary to safeguard themselves and the environment 
and to limit the effects. 
This training shall include personal practical experience, 
where appropriate, and shall cover at least the subjects 
listed in Annex 2. 
'Receptacles' means: 
1. cylinders of a capacity not exceeding 150 
litres; 
2. cylinders of a capacity of not less than 100 
litres (with the exception of cylinders in 
conformity with subparagraph 1 and not more 
than 1 000 litres (e.g. cylindrical receptacles 
equipped with rolling hoops, and receptacles 
on skids); 
3. assemblies, known as 'frames' of cylinders in 
conformity with subparagraph 1, the cylinders 
being interconnected by a manifold and held 
firmly together by a metal fitting; 
'dangerous substances' means substances, products, 
articles, solutions, mixtures and wastes falling into the 
categories listed in Annexes 1, la and lb, as well as 
any other substance which experience shows to be 
dangerous; 2. Member States may grant the certificate of 
competence to drivers who request it for the first time 
without their being obliged to prove that they comply 
with the provisions of paragraph 1, on condition that 
such drivers can prove that they have engaged in the 
occupation of drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous 
goods without interruption for at least five years 
preceding the date of entry into force of this Directive. 
3. Member States may, if they wish, require drivers 
employed in the domestic carriage of dangerous goods 
within their territory and drivers employed in inter­
national services in vehicles registered in that Member 
State to undergo more extensive training than provided 
for in Annex 2. This may take the form of training 
already established in the Member State or of training 
which the Member State decides to introduce in the 
future. 
9. the categories of dangerous substances entered in 
Annexes 1, la and lb shall be amended regularly in 
the light of scientific and technical progress and the 
development of the industry. The procedure layed 
down in Article 6a shall be used to effect the 
amendments. 
Article 3 
Derogation 
Member States may, after agreement with the 
Commission, exempt from all or part of this Directive 
drivers of vehicles carrying exclusively goods posing little 
danger or pollution hazard because of their special 
characteristics or of the small quantities carried. 
Reasons must be given for all decisions taken by the 
competent authorities in the Member States under this 
paragraph. Article 5 
The certificate of competence referred to in Article 1 
shall be valid for five years. 
The validity of the certificate may be extended for 
periods of five years provided: 
(a) the holder succesfully completes a refresher course 
during the five-year interval before his certificate 
expires; 
(b) the holder proves to the competent authority or body 
that he has engaged in the occupation without inter­
ruption since his certificate was issued or last 
renewed and, over this period, has received specific 
training taking account of changes in the regulations 
and of the safety measures to be taken for the 
carriage of dangerous goods by road. 
No C 322/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 12. 88 
Article 6 
All Community Member States shall recognize the 
certificates of competence referred to in Article 1 issued 
by any other Member State. 
Article 6 a 
1. To bring about the amendments provided for in 
Article 2 (9), the Commission shall be assisted by an 
advisory committee composed of representatives from 
Member States and presided over by a representative of 
the Commission. 
2. The Commission shall submit proposals to the 
committee. The committee shall give its opinion on the 
proposals, the time scale for which shall be determined 
by the chairman taking into account the urgency of the 
issue and, if necessary, the need for a vote. 
3. The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes: 
further, each Member State shall have the right to 
request that its proposal is recorded in the minutes. 4. The Commission shall take full account of the 
committee's opinion and shall inform the committee 
exactly how this has been done. 
Article 7 
1. After consulting the Commission, the Member 
States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and 
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this 
Directive within two years following its notification. 
2. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission the texts of the main provisions of national 
law which they adopt in the field governed by this 
Directive. In particular, each Member State shall provide 
the Commission with specimens of the certificates or 
equivalent documents which it adopts with a view to 
implementing Article 1 of this Directive. The 
Commission shall forthwith forward this information to 
the other Member States. 
Article 8 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX 1 
Dangerous goods 
For the purposes of this Directive 'dangerous goods' means the following substances, products, solutions 
and mixtures: 
— explosive substances and articles; 
— articles filled with explosive substances; 
— igniters, fireworks and similar goods; 
— gases: compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure; 
— inflammable liquids; 
— inflammable solids; 
— substances liable to spontaneous combustion; 
— substances which give off inflammable gases on contact with water; 
— oxidizing substances; 
— organic peroxides; 
— toxic substances; 
— repugnant substances and substances liable to cause infection; 
— radioactive substances; 
— corrosive substances; 
— polluting goods on the list set out in Annex la; 
— wastes on the list set out in Annex lb; 
— other materials which experience has shown, or may show, to be of such a dangerous character that the 
provisions of this Directive should apply to it. 
15. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 322/15 
ANNEX la 
List of polluting goods 
Acetone cyanohydrin, stabilized; 
Acrolein, inhibited; 
Aldrin; 
Ammonium arsenate; 
Antimony compounds inorganic, n.o.s; 
Antimony lactate; 
Antimony pentachloride, liquid; 
Antimony pentachloride, solutions; 
Antimony pentafluoride; 
Antimony potassium tartrate; 
Antimony trichloride, (a) solid; 
Antimony trichloride, (b) liquid; 
Arsenic; 
Arsenic acid liquid; 
Arsenic acid, solid; 
Arsenic bromide; 
Arsenic compounds; 
Arsenic compounds, liquid, n.o.s; 
Arsenic compounds, solid, n.o.s; 
Arsenic pentoxide; 
Arsenic trichloride; 
Arsenic trioxide; 
Azinphos-methyl; 
Barium compounds, n.o.s; 
Barium cyanide; 
Benzyl chloroformate; 
Butylphenols, liquid; 
Butylphenols, solid; 
Butyl toluenes; 
Cacodylic acid; 
Cadmium compounds; 
Calcium arsenate; 
Calcium arsenate and calcium arsenite mixtures, solid; 
Camphechlor; 
Camphor oil; 
Carbaryl; 
Carbophenothion; 
Chlorine; 
Chlorodinitrobenzene; 
Chloronitroanilines; 
Chlorophenols, liquid; 
Chlorophenols, solid; 
Chlorophenyl-trichlorosilane; 
Chlorotoluenes, (ortho-; meta-; para-); 
Chromium oxychloride; 
Cocculus, solid; 
Copper acetoarsenite; 
Copper arsenite; 
Copper cyanide; 
Cresols (ortho-; meta-; para-); 
Cupriethylene-diamine, solution; 
Cyanogen bromide; 
Cyanogen chloride, inhibited; 
DDT; 
Diazinon; 
Dichloroanilines; 
Dichloroethyl ether; 
Dichlorophenols, liquid; 
Dichlorophenols, solid; 
Dichlorophenyl-trichlorosilane; 
Dichlorvos; 
Dimethoate; 
Dinitro-ortho-cresol, liquid; 
Dinitro-ortho-cresol, solid; 
Dinitrophenol solutions in water or flammable liquid; Diphenylamine chloroarsine; 
Diphenylchloroarsine; 
Disulfoton; 
DNOC; 
Endosulfan; 
Endrin; 
Ethylacrylate, inhibited; 
Ethyldichloroarsine; 
Ferric arsenate; 
Ferric arsenite; 
Ferrous arsenate; 
Heptachlor; 
Hexachlorobutadiene; 
Hexaethyl tetraphosphate; 
Hydrocyanic acid aqueous solutions with not more than 20 % 
hydrocyanic acid; 
Hydrogen cyanide anhydrous, stabilized; 
Hydrogen cyanide, anhydrous, stabilized, absorbed in a porous 
inert material; 
Isopropenylbenzene; 
Lead acetate; 
Lead arsenates; 
Lead arsenites; 
Lead compounds soluble, n.o.s; 
Lead cyanide; 
Lead nitrate; 
Lead perchlorate; 
Lindane; 
Magnesium arsenate; 
Manee or maneb preparations stabilized against self-heating; 
Manee or maneb preparations with not less than 60 % maneb; 
Mercuric arsenate; 
Mercuric chloride; 
Mercuric nitrate; 
Mercuric potassium cyanide; 
Mercuric sulphate; 
Mercurous nitrate; 
Mercurous sulphate; 
Mercury acetates; 
Mercury ammonium chloride; 
Mercury benzoate; 
Mercury bisulphates; 
Mercury bromides; 
Mercury cyanide; 
Mercury gluconate; 
Mercury iodide; 
Mercury oleate; 
Mercury oxide; 
Mercury oxycyanide, desensitized; 
Mercury potassium iodide; 
Mercury salicylate; 
Mercury thiocyanate; 
alpha-Methylstyrene; 
Mevinphos; 
Motor fuel anti-knock mixtures; 
Naphthalene, crude or refined; 
Naphtalene, molten; 
Nickel carbonyl; 
Nickel cyanide; 
Nitrobenzotrifluorides; 
No C 322/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 12. 88 
3-Nitro-4-chlorobenzo-trifluoride; 
Nitrocresois; 
Nitroxylenes; 
Osmium tetroxide; 
Parathion; 
Parathionmethyl; 
Perchloromethylmercaptan; 
Phenylmercuric hydroxide; 
Phenylmercuric nitrate; 
Phorate; 
Phosphorus white, molten; 
Phosphorus, white or yellow (a) dry; 
Phosphorus, white or yellow (b) under water; 
Polychlorinated biphenyls; 
Potassium arsenate; 
Potassium arsenite; 
Potassium cyanide; 
Selenic acid; silver arsenite; 
Silver cyanide; 
Sodium arsanilate; 
Sodium arsenate; 
Sodium arsenite; 
Sodium arsenite, aqueous solutions; 
Sodium arsenite, solid; Sodium cacodylate; 
Sodium cuprocyanide, solid; 
Sodium cyanide; 
Sodium pentachlorophenate; 
Strontium arsenite; 
Strychnine; 
Sulfoter; 
Tepp (tetraethyl pyrophosphate); 
Tetraethyl dithiopyrophosphate, dry, liquid or mixtures; 
Tetraethyl lead; 
Tetramethyl lead; 
Thallium chlorate; 
Thallium compounds; 
Thallium compounds, n.o.s; 
Thallium nitrate; 
Thallium sulphate; 
Tricresylphosphate with more than 3 % ortho-isomer; 
Vinyl toluenes (mixed isomers), inhibited; 
Zinc arsenate or zinc arsenite or zinc arsenate and zinc arsenite 
mixtures; 
Zinc chloride, anhydrous; 
Zinc chloride, solution; 
Zinc cyanide; 
Zinc phosphide. 
ANNEX lb 
Generic types of dangerous wastes (wastes may be in liquid, sludge or solid form) 
Part A 
Wastes consisting of, derived from or residues of: 
— anatomical substances; hospital wastes or wastes from other medical activities; 
— pharmaceuticals, drugs, medicines and veterinary compounds; 
— wood preservatives; 
— biocides and plant protection substances; 
— residues from substances employed as solvents; 
— halogenated organic substances not employed as solvents; 
— quenching salts containing cyanide; 
— oils and oily substances, e.g. cutting sludges; 
— oil/water and hydrocarbon/water mixtures and emulsions; 
— substances containing PCBs and/or PCTs, e.g. dielectrics; 
— tarry materials arising from refining, distillation and any pyrolytic treatment, e.g. still slag; 
— inks, dyes, pigments, paints, lacquers and varnishes; 
— resins, latex, plasticizers, glues/adhesives; 
— chemical substances arising from research and development or teaching activities which are not iden­
tified and/or are new and whose effects on man and/or the environment are not known, e.g. 
laboratory wastes; 
15. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 322/17 
— pyrotechnics and propellant materials; 
— materials from photographic laboratories; 
— any material contaminated with any congenor of polychlorinated dibenzo-furan; 
— any material contaminated with any congenor of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin; 
— any other wastes containing any of the substances referred to in Part B. 
Part B 
Wastes having as constituents: 
— beryllium, beryllium compounds; 
— vanadium compounds; 
— chromium (VI) compounds; 
— cobalt compounds; 
— nickel compounds; 
— copper compounds; 
— zinc compounds; 
— arsenic; arsenic compounds; 
— selenium; selenium compounds; 
— silver compounds; 
— cadmium; cadmium compounds; 
— tin compounds; 
— antimony; antimony compounds; 
— tellurium; tellurium compounds; 
— barium compounds, excluding barium sulphate; 
— mercury; mercury compounds; 
— thallium; thallium compounds; 
— lead; lead compounds; 
— inorganic sulphides; 
— inorganic fluorine compounds, excluding calcium fluoride; 
— inorganic cyanides; 
— the following alkaline or alkaline earth metals; lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium in 
uncombined form; 
— acidic solutions or solids; 
— basic solutions or solids; 
— asbestos (dust and fibres); 
— phosphorus; phosphorus compounds, excluding mineral phosphates; 
— metal carbonyls; 
— peroxides; 
— chlorates; 
— perchlorates; 
— azides; 
— PCBs and/or PCTs; 
— pharmaceutical and veterinary compounds; 
— biocides and plant protection products, e.g. pesticides; 
— infectious substances; 
— creosotes; 
No C 322/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 15. 12. 88 
— isocyanates and thiocyanates; 
— organic cyanides, e.g. nitriles; 
— phenols; phenol compounds; 
— halogenated solvents; 
— organic solvents, excluding halogenated solvents; 
— organohalogen compounds, excluding inert polymerized materials and other substances referred to in 
this Annex; 
— aromatic compounds; polycyclic and heterocyclic organic compounds; 
— aromatic amines; 
— ethers; 
— substances of an explosive character, excluding substances referred to elsewhere in this Annex; 
— any congenor of polychlorinated dibenzo-p dioxin; 
— hydrocarbons and their compounds with oxygen, nitrogen and/or sulphur not specifically referred to in 
Part B. 
ANNEX 2 
Subjects covered by Article 4 of this Directive 
The knowledge required in order to qualify for a certificate of competence must cover at least the 
following subjects: 
(a) general requirements concerning the transport of dangerous goods; 
(b) main types of hazard; 
(c) preventive and safety measures appropriate to the various types of hazard; 
(d) what to do after an accident (first aid, road safety, basic knowledge about the use of protective 
equipment, etc.); 
(e) labelling and marking to indicate danger; 
(f) what a vehicle driver should and should not do during the carriage of dangerous goods; 
(g) the purpose and method of opeation of technical equipment on vehicles; 
(h) the behaviour in vehicles carrying tanks and tank containers on road, including movement of load; 
(i) prohibitions on mixed loading in the same vehicle or container; 
(j) handling and stowage of packages; 
(k) precautions to be taking during loading and unloading of dangerous goods.