Opinion of the Commission pursuant to Article 189B(2)(d) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on masses and dimensions and amending Directive 70/156/EEC relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers
Date: 1997-05-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approximation of laws, commercial vehicle, motor vehicle, road safety, weight and size

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 22.05.1997 
COM(97) 229 final  - COD 348 

OPINION  OF THE  COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 b (2) (d) of the EC Treaty, 
on the European  Parliament's  amendments 
to the Council's common  position  regarding the 

proposal  for  a 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  AND COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE 

on masses and dimensions and amending Directive 70/Î 56/EEC relating to the type-
approval of motor vehicles and their trailers 

AMENDING THE PROPOSAL  OF THE  COMMISSION 
pursuant to Article  189 a (2) of the EC Treaty 

Parliament on 09-04-1997  adopted two amendments to the common position adopted by 
the  Council  on  28-11-1996  on a European Parliament  and Council  Directive  on masses 
and dimensions and amending Directive 70/156/EEC. 

In accordance  with  Article  189b(2)(d)  of the  Treaty,  the  Commission  hereby  delivers a 
favourable opinion on these amendments, on the following grounds: 

1 

2 

The  proposed  additional  wording  in  Amendment  1  (recital  1)  is  a  matter  of 
clarification and does not change the substance of the paragraph. 

The proposed additional wording in Amendment  2 (recital 6) refers "to pursue the 
constant  improvement  of  safety,  in  particular  regarding  to  the  use  of  certain 
categories of carriages or trailers".  It stresses the importance of the improvement of 
safety of vehicles and trailers, an objective to which the Commission can adhere. 

For  these  reasons,  the  Commission  has  decided,  in  line  with  Article  189a  of  the  EC 
Treaty,  to  alter  its  proposal  so  as  to  incorporate  the  amendments  adopted  by  the 
Parliament. 

Given the closeness  of the dates of entry into force  foreseen  in the common position, it 
considers  it  a  matter  of  urgency  that  the  Council  modifies  its  common  position 
accordingly and adopts the text in question. 

Amended proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive 
on masses and dimensions and amending Directive 70/156/EEC relating to 
the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers 

(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty) 

4 

Common position of the Council 

Amendments by Parliament 

(Amendment  1) 
Recital 1 

the 

Whereas 
total  harmonisation  of 
technical requirements for  motor vehicles is 
necessary 
smooth 
the 
achieve 
functioning  of the internal market; 

to 

the 

Whereas 
total  harmomsation  of 
technical  requirements for  motor vehicles is 
necessary 
smooth 
achieve 
functioning  of  the  internal  market  while 
a  high  level  of  safety  for  the 
ensuring 
public. 

the 

to 

(Amendment 2) 
Recital 6 

a 

as 

consequence, 

the 
Whereas, 
harmomsation  of  the  maximum  authorised 
masses  of  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers 
to  be registered  in the member  States  does 
not  appear to  be feasible  in the  short  term; 
whereas  on  the  other  hand  it  does  now 
to  achieve,  as  far  as 
appear  feasible 
possible, 
their 
maximum  dimensions,  and  to  deal  with  the 
question  of  masses  by  providing  for  the 
possibility  of  a  uniform  procedure 
to 
registration/in-service 
determine 
maximum permissible  masses  of vehicles in 
each member State; 

the  harmonisation  of 

the 

a 

as 

consequence, 

the  harmomsation  of 

the 
Whereas, 
harmomsation  of  the  maximum  authorised 
masses  of  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers 
to  be registered  in the  member  States  does 
not  appear  to  be feasible  in the  short  term; 
whereas  on  the  other  hand  it  does  now 
to  achieve,  as  far  as 
appear  feasible 
possible, 
their 
maximum  dimensions,  to  deal  with  the 
question  of  masses  by  providing  for  the 
possibility  of  a  uniform  procedure 
to 
registration/in-service 
determine 
maximum  permissible  masses  of vehicles in 
each  member  State,  and  to  pursue  the 
constant 
in 
particular  with  regard  to  certain  categories 
of trailers; 

improvement 

safety, 

the 

of 

M-

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(97) 229 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

07  06 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-97-219-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-19734-3 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg 

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