24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/5
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiverelatingtothemassesanddimensionsof
certaincategoriesofmotorvehiclesandtheirtrailers(*)
(92/C49/03)
On14August1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon4December1991.The
RapporteurwasMrMarvier.
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof18December1991)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
2.2.Precisenumericalvaluesare,however,laid
downinothercases,forexample:
a)towingvehicle/trailermassratio(AnnexI,
point7.1);thisvaluecanalsobecalculated
indirectlybyreferencetoDirective85/3/EEC;
b)enginepower/maximummassratio(AnnexI,
point9);thisvaluewasfixednotonlytoencourage
basicenginepowerincreasesbutalsotoimprove
roadtransportsafety(goodsandpersons).
2.3.Theforegoingprovidesageneralyardstickfor
theinterpretationofthedraftDirectivewhich,ifexam­
inedingreaterdetail,revealscertainimprecisions ,cer­
tain'encroachments 'intoareasnotstrictlyrelevantto
suchaDirective,andsuchirrelevantanddangerous
'redundancies'astherepetitionofallthetechnical
requirementsrelatingtoairorequivalentsuspension
systemswhichnow,rightlyorwrongly,comewithin
thescopeofthefutureDirectiveamendingDirective85/
3/EEC.1.Introduction
1.1.ACommunityDirectiveonthemassesand
dimensionsofvehiclesotherthanthoseofcategoryMl
isconsiderednecessaryforthepurposeofoverallEEC
type-approval .
1.2.AnnexII(EECtype-approval certificate)to
frameworkDirective70/156/EECprovides(point2—
Weightsanddimensions )forthedrawing-upofoneor
moreseparateDirectivesonthistopic(abbrevi­
ation'SD').
1.3.OverallEECtype-approvalofnon-Mivehicles
mustthereforetakeaccountoftheexistenceofmore
orlessdetailedprovisionsonthissubject,ortherefer­
encesinquestionmustbedeletedfromtheframework
Directive .
1.4.TheprovisionsoftheDirectiveunderdiscussion
shouldinfuturealsoberecognizedandadoptedby
non-EECcountriesbelongingtotheECTM(2),aswas
thecase(theCommitteeishappytoreport)with
Directive85/3/EECanditssubsequentamendments .3.Specificcomments
3.1.Article4
3.1.1.Thisshouldbereworded.
3.1.2.ItisthenowcustomaryArticlewithdrawing
powersfromtheCommitteeonAdaptationtoTechni­
calProgressandmakingitanadvisoryratherthana
regulatorybody.2.Generalcomments
2.1.Whilsttosomeextentfillingtheabovemen­
tionedgap,theproposedDirectiveisonlyafirststep,
sinceitdoesnotlaydownmandatorynumericalvalues
formostoftheweightsanddimensionslistedinpoint2
ofAnnexIItoframeworkDirective70/156/EEC,but
simplyprovidesdefinitions .Asecondstagecanbe
expectedinthenearfutureinwhichnumericalvalues
willbefixedsothatthemassesanddimensionsofnon­
Mivehiclesarealsostandardizedfortype-approval
purposesandnotmerelyforinternationaltransport.3.2.Article6
3.2.1.Firstindent—Thephrase'nolonger'should
bereplacedby'not'.ThedraftDirectiveisthefirstto
appearonthe'massesanddimensionsofvehiclesother
thanthoseofcategoryMl'andthephrase'nolonger'
isusedinDirectivesamendingexistingDirectives.(')OJNoC230,4.9.1991,p.46.
(2)ECTM:EuropeanConferenceofTransportMinisters.

NoC49/6 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
3.3.AnnexI
3.3.1.Avehicleequippedwithairorequivalentsus­
pensionsystemsmustobviouslybeeligible,onrequest,
forcertificationonthebasisofharmonizedrequire­
mentsandEECtype-approval mustthereforealso
extendtosuchcomponents .Atthesametime,the
technicalrequirementsregardingtheequivalenceof
mechanicalandairsuspensionsystemsmustappearin
asingleEECDirectivesoastoavoidthedangerof
unalignedtexts.
3.3.2.Atpresent,thedraftDirectiveprimarilycon­
cernedwouldappeartobethatamendingDirective
85/3/EEC[doc.CC)M(90)486final](!).Theproposed
Directivenowunderconsideration shouldtherefore
makeexplicitreferencetothisdraftamendingDirective
whichhasalreadybeencommenteduponbytheCom­
mittee(2).TheCommitteehopesthatitsearlierviews
willoncemorebetakenonboard.
3.3.3.Point10
3.3.3.1.Itisproposedthatthispointbewordedas
follows:
'Conditionsforestablishingtheequivalenceofa
suspensionsystemtoanairsuspensionsystemfor
adrive-axle.'adecisionwouldslowresearchaimedatimproving
theirperformanceandadaptationtothistypeofaxle.
3.3.5.3.Lastly,itwouldcreateadesignproblem
owingtotheneedforasecondsparewheelifthedrive­
axlealoneisfittedwithtwintyres(differentdimensions
ofload-bearingaxles).Thiswouldcomplicatethetask
ofvehiclesmanufacturers andhauliersbyentailinga
lossofvolume/carryingcapacityequivalenttothatof
theextrawheel.
3.3.6.Point5.2
3.3.6.1.Sinceallrequirementsrelatingtothecalcu­
lationofpassenger,baggageandotherweightcome
withinthescopeofthefutureECDirectiveonpassenger
vehiclesnowbeingdiscussedbytheCommission ,the
secondandthirdsentencesareunacceptable intheir
presentform.
3.3.6.2.Itshouldalsobenotedthattheprovisions
ofthesesentencesarenotinconformitywithRegulation
No36oftheEconomicCommissionforEurope(ECE)
whichshouldserveasapointofreference.
3.3.7.Point6.1.4
3.3.7.1.Inviewofthefactthat:
—thepresentproposalforaDirectiveisnotconcerned
withtheinternationalmovementofvehicles,but
withtheirnationaltype-approval (thisbeingatype­
approval,notatraffic,directive),
—allpreviousCommunityvehicletype-approval
directiveshavebeenconcernedsolelywithindivid­
ualvehicles,i.e.driveunitsandtrailerstakenasa
singleunit,andnotroadtrains,
—itishardnottoreachtheconclusion,evenleaving
asidetheabovecomments,thattheprovisioncon­
tainedinthisparagraphisafutileconstraintonthe
designofcouplingdevicesbetweendriveunitsand
trailers,bearinginmindtherecentspecifications
concerningthedistancebetweenthetwounits,as
laiddowninDirective91/60/EEC(3)(0,35m),
theCommitteeconsidersitessentialtoremovethis
paragraph;italsourgesthattherelevantprovisionbe
removedfromDirective85/3/EEC.
3.3.8.Point7.2
3.3.8.1.Theprovisionsofthelastsentencearemis­
placedsincetheycomewithinthescopeofDirective71/
320/EEConbrakingdevicesandshouldbeexaminedin
thatcontext.Thissencenceshouldthereforebedeleted.3.3.4.Point10.1
3.3.4.1.Itisproposedthatthisparagraphbeworded
asfollows:
'Wherenationalroadtrafficregulationsmakeit
necessarytoestablishtheequivalenceofasuspen­
sionsystemtoanairsuspensionsystemforadrive­
axle,therelevantprovisionsofAnnexIIIto
Directive.../.../EECshallapplyforthepurposeof
establishingsuchequivalence.'
3.3.5.Point10.2
3.3.5.1.Whilstmostdrive-axlesarenowfittedwith
twintyres,thisparagraphwouldmaketheirmounting
compulsory .
3.3.5.2.Thisisextremelyunsatisfactory fromthe
userstandpoint,sinceitautomatically precludesthe
fittingofsingletyres,apracticewhichisbecoming
increasinglywidespreadinthecaseofload-bearing
axles.Singletyresareeconomical (lowerfuelconsump­
tion,easeofmountingandmaintenance ,etc.)andsuch
(MOJNoC292,22.11.1990.
(2)OJNoC159,17.6.1991. (3)OJNoL37,9.2.1991.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunitiesNoC49/7
3.3.8.2.Inthisconnection,itshouldbepointedout
thattheRapporteurs'Grouponbrakingdevices(GRRF)ofECEWorkingParty29inGenevaiscon­
sideringthisverytopicatpresent.
DoneatBrussels,18December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective70/157/EEConthe
approximation ofthelawsoftheMemberStatesrelatingtothepermissiblesoundleveland
theexhaustsystemofmotorvehicles
92/C49/04)
On7August1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,under
Article100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon4December1991,inthelight
oftheReportbyMrPearson.
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof18December1991)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
1.1.TheSectionfullysupportstheconcernofthe
Commissiontoreducefurtherthenoiselevelattribu­
tabletomotorvehicletraffic,theeverincreasingvolume
ofwhichaggravatesthesituation,anditthusendorses
theproposalssubjecttothefollowingpoints.levelarisingfromthecontactoftyreswiththeroad
surfaceby31March1994anditregretsthatthedate
issofaraway.TheCommitteealsorecognizesthe
importanceofthetypeofroadsurfaceinrelationto
vehiclenoiseandurgestheCommissiontoaddressthis
issue.
2.3.Constraintsapplicabletothepermissiblesound
levelofmotorvehiclesshouldequallybeofconcernin
relationtotwo-wheelandtothree-wheelvehicles.
2.4.DuetotheforesightoftheCommissionand
withthecooperationoftheautomobileindustry,very
substantialnoiselevelreductionshavebeenachieved
inrecentyears:theproposedreductionsarealready
possibleinanumberofpassengercarmodelsbutmay
bedifficulttoattaininafullmodelrange.Inviewof
theintendedoperationoftheEuropeanEconomicArea
itisimportantthatthereisequalapplicationwithin
thecountriesoftheEuropeanFreeTradeAssociation
(EFTA).2.Generalcomments
2.1.Thepositionhasbeenreachedinthetechnical
capabilityoftheEuropeanmotorindustrywhereby
factorsotherthanthenoiseleveloftheengine,gearbox,
axledriveandexhaustsystemareofequalpriorityto
beresolved:thecontactnoiseleveloftyresontheroad
surfaceisone.
2.2.InArticle4,theCommitteenotesthattheCom­
missionintendstotableproposalsconcerningthenoise