CELEX: 51988PC0287
Language: en
Date: 1988-05-31
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE 85/3/EEC ON THE WEIGHTS, DIMENSIONS AND CERTAIN OTHER TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN ROAD VEHICLES

16. 8. 88                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                No C 214/1
                                                                 II
                                                        (Preparatory Acts)
                                                    COMMISSION
              Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 85/3/EEC on the weights, dimensions and
                                  certain other technical characteristics of certain road vehicles
                                                        COM(88) 287 final
                                         (Submitted by the Commission on 6 June 1988)
                                                           (88/C 214/01)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                              1. The following Article 4a is inserted :
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                     'Article 4a
Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof,
                                                                          Articulated vehicles put into circulation before 1 July
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                         1989, which do not comply with the new specifications
                                                                          contained in points 1.6 and 4.4 of Annex I to the
                                                                          Directive shall be deemed to comply with such
In cooperation with the European Parliament.
                                                                           specifications for the purposes of Article 3(1) if they do
                                                                          not exceed the total length of 15,5 m.'
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee,
                                                                      2. Point 1.1. of Annex 1 is replaced by the following:
Whereas, in order to make combined vehicles more
                                                                           '1.1.   Maximum length
productive, manufacturers are proposing a maximum
usable volume within the constraints imposed by Directive                          — motor vehicle         12,00 m
 85/3/EEC 0 ) ;
                                                                                   — trailer               12,00 m
Whereas this increase in the usable volume involves a
 reduction in the space reserved for the driver and in the                         — articulated vehicle 16,50 m
 space between the motor vehicle and the semi-trailer which
 is occupied by special coupling devices;                                          — road train            18,00 m
 Whereas there is a consequent deterioration in the comfort                        — articulated bus       18,00 m (2).'
 and safety of the driver's working area;
                                                                      3. The following point is inserted in Annex I:
 Whereas the current standards may be improved so as to
 lead to a better balance between the rational and economic                '1.6.   Maximum distance between the fifth-wheel king
 use of commercial road vehicles and the requirements of                           pin and the rear of a semi-trailer
 road safety by making tractor units for semi-trailers more
 interchangeable while ensuring that the driver has enough                         12 m.'
 room,
                                                                      4. The following point 4.4 shall be inserted in Annex 1:
 HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:                                                '4.4.  Semi-trailers
                                                                                   The semi-trailer must comply with ISO inter-
                             Article 1                                             national standard No 1726 (1973 version)
                                                                                   relating to road vehicles (mechanical couplings
                                                                                   between tractor units and semi-trailers).'
  Council Directive 85/3/EEC is hereby amended as follows:
                                                                       (2) Depending on the adoption of the Commission proposal on
  (') OJ No L 2, 3. 1. 1985, p. 14.                                         weights and dimensions of buses.
 ---pagebreak---  No C 214/2                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                     16. 8. 88
                            Article 2                                The Member States shall communicate to the Commission
                                                                     the texts of the main provisions of national law which they
                                                                     adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
 After consulting the Commission, the Member States shall
 bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative                                      Article 3
 provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before
 1 July 1989.                                                        This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
               Amended proposal for a Council Decision on a Community action in the field of information
               technology and telecommunications applied to health care — Advanced informatics in medicine
                                                   (AIM) — Exploratory action
                                                  COM(88) 315 final — SYN 95
                (Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149(3) of the EEC Treaty on 9 June 1988)
                                                           (88/C 214/02)
 THE COUNCIL'OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                           Whereas the Economic and Social Committee supports
                                                                     initiatives in this domain;
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular Article 130Q (2)
thereof,                                                            Whereas with the emergence of advanced and mobile
                                                                    communication services and the progressive introduction
                                                                    of computing in health care and services, the conditions for
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (*),             major improvements for health care and possibilities for
                                                                    improved cost-effectiveness may be emerging;
In cooperation with the European Parliament,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social             Whereas it is important for increasing the quality,
Committee,                                                          flexibility and accessibility of health care in the Community
                                                                    that there should be adequate consultation of organizations
                                                                    working in this field;
Whereas the Community has as its task, by establishing a
common market and progressively approximating the
economic policies of Member States, inter alia to promote
throughout the Community a harmonious development of                Whereas particular attention must be paid to questions of
economic activity and closer relations between the States           privacy, confidentiality and data protection and this can
belonging to it;                                                    build on related work carried out in the framework of
                                                                    ESPRIT and RACE;
Whereas the Heads of State and Government emphasized
the importance of health care as a major factor for
                                                                    Whereas developments in health care will benefit the
economic growth and social development;
                                                                    general public and the building of a competitive European
                                                                    industry for developing and sustaining advances in health
Whereas the European Parliament, in its assessment of the           services;
situation, stressed the role of cooperation in health care and
related areas for the future political, social and economic
development of the Community;
                                                                    Whereas advances in health care will contribute to
                                                                    resolving pressing social needs associated with changing
Whereas the European Parliament, in its assessment of               age structures 'in the Community, and to the earliest
biotechnology in Europe, has stressed the importance of             possible recognition of new diseases and health-care
medical biotechnology and bioinformatics ( 2 );                     problems;
(!) OJ No C 355, 31. 12. 1987, p. 10.                               Whereas the concerted efforts in this domain will
(2) OJ No C 76, 23. 3. 1987, p. 25.                                 contribute to the creation of the internal market and