CELEX: 51996PC0208
Language: en
Date: 1996-05-14
Title: Re-examined proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
if    it
                                             Brussels, 14.05.1996
                                             COM(96) 208 final - 486 SYN
                        Re-examined proposal for a
                          COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
   LAYING DOWN FOR CERTAIN ROAD VEHICLES CIRCULATING WITHIN THE
  COMMUNITY THE MAXIMUM AUTHORISED DIMENSIONS IN NATIONAL AND
   INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC AND THE MAXIMUM AUTHORISED WEIGHTS IN
                           INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC
         (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 c (d)
                              of the EC Treaty)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                     Re-examined proposal for a
                                     COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
         LAYING DOWN FOR CERTAIN ROAD VEHICLES CIRCULATING WITHIN THE
        COMMUNITY THE MAXIMUM AUTHORISED DIMENSIONS IN NATIONAL AND
         INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC AND THE MAXIMUM AUTHORISED WEIGHTS IN
                                      INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC
On 14 March 1996 the European Parliament amended the Common Position adopted by the Council
on 8 December 1995 on the above-mentioned proposal. The three amendments of the Parliament are
annexed.
Under Article 189C, subparagraph (d) of the EC Treaty the Commission has reexamined its proposal
and has decided to accept Amendment No. 1.
As regards amendments 2 and 3 Article 4(6) of the proposal states
"Member States may allow vehicles or vehicle combinations used for goods transport and registered
or put into circulation before the implementation of this Directive to circulate in their territory until
31 December 2006 with dimensions exceeding those bid down in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 to 1.8,4.2 and
4.4 of Annex I by virtue of differing national provisions or methods of measurement."
Given that this article can allow existing registered vehicles and vehicle combinations to continue to
operate until the end of 2006 the Commission does not feel that amendments 2 and 3 seeking
additional derogations are appropriate. In particular, to allow derogations beyond 2006 jeopardises
the objective of harmonisation and also has negative consequences for manufacturers adapting their
production to meet the Directive.
Amendments 2 and 3 are, thus, not acceptable to the Commission.
The Commission, therefore, proposes to amend the Common Position by the inclusion of a new
recital 15a, as follows:
 ---pagebreak--- Common position of the Council           Revised Proposal
                               Recital 15a (new)
                                         Whereas, to prevent excessive road
                                         damage and to ensure manoeuvrability,
                                         when authorizing and using vehicles
                                         preference should be given to pneumatic
                                         or equivalent suspension rather than
                                         mechanical suspension, certain maximum
                                         axle loads should not be exceeded, and
                                         the vehicle must be capable of turning
                                         through 360' within certain limit values
                                         for the path followed;
 ---pagebreak---               EUROPEAN                   PARLIAMENT
27 February 1996                                                      A4-0044/1
AMENDMENT 1
tabled by the Committee on Transport and Tourism
                  RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING                (A4-0044/96)
                  Rapporteur: Mr Wijsenbeek
                  MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF ROAD VEHICLES
                  Common position of the Council
                  (C4-0004/96 - 00/0486(SYN))
    Common position of the Council                      Amendment
                                 (Amendment 1)
                              Recital 15a (new)
                                          Whereas, tP Prevent excessiye road
                                          damage and to ensure manoeuvrability.
                                          when authorising gn<a using vehicles
                                          preference   should   be   given   tP
                                          pneumatic or equivalent suspension
                                          rather than mechanical suspension,
                                          certain maximum axle loads should not
                                          be exceeded, and the vehicle must be
                                          capable of turning through 3$Q°
                                          within certain limit values for the
                                          path followed;
 ---pagebreak---              EUROPEAN                    PARLIAMENT
27 February 1996                                                      A4-0044/2
AMENDMENT 2
tabled by the Committee on Transport and Tourism
                  RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING                (A4-0044/96)
                  Rapporteur: Mr Wijsenbeek
                  MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF ROAD VEHICLES
                  Common position of the Council
                  (C4-0004/96 - 00/0486(SYN))
    Common position of the Council                      Amendment
                                 (Amendment 2)
                             Article 4(6a) (new)
                                          £&.   Before   fchg   ens! _oJ    £he_
                                          transitional period referred to in
                                          paragraph 6. the Commission shall
                                          report on anv exemptions promoted bv
                                          developments which it should be
                                          possible 4& grant even after il
                                          December 2006 and, if necessary, put
                                          forward proposals thereon.
 ---pagebreak---                 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
12 March 1996                                                         A4-0044/3
AMENDMENT 3
by Mr Wijsenbeek, on behalf of the ELDR group
        RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING                          (A4-0044/96)
        by Mr Wijsenbeek
        MAXIMUM AUTHORIZED WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS FOR CERTAIN ROAD VEHICLES
        Common position of the Council C4-0004/96 - 00/0486(SYN)
   Common position of the Council                       Amendment
                                 (Amendment 3)
                                  Recital 14
Whereas the maximum authorized width      Whereas the maximum authorized width
of 2,50 m for vehicles intended for       of 2,50 m for vehicles intended for
the carriage of goods can leave           the carriage of goods and the maximum
insufficient internal space for the       lengths laid down in point 1.1 of
efficient loading of pallets, which       Annex   I can    leave   insufficient
has given rise to the application of      internal space for the efficient
different   tolerances beyond that        loading of pallets, which has given
level in the legislation of the           rise to the application of different
Member States concerning domestic         tolerances beyond that level in the
traffic; whereas a general adaptation     legislation of the Member States
to the current situation is therefore     concerning domestic traffic; whereas
necessary in order to provide for         a general adaptation to the current
clarity in technical requirements,        situation is therefore necessary in
bearing in mind the road safety           order to provide for clarity in
aspects of these characteristics;         technical requirements, bearing in
                                          mind the road safety aspects of these
                                          characteristics;
                                     €
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(96) 208 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                            87
                                     Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-219-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-03978-0
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