22 July 2022

CLECAT RESPONSE TO PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS

On 19 July, CLECAT submitted its response to the public consultation on the evaluation of Directive 96/53/EC on Weights and Dimensions for heavy-duty vehicles. The Directive sets out standards for the maximum weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles used in national and international transport. The Commission considers that the revision of the Directive should address the fragmentation of the market for the use of oversized and overweighed vehicles, due to the patchwork of national and bilateral/multilateral rules on maximum weights and dimensions. This, the Commission believes, leads to an ineffective and inconsistent enforcement of cross-border transport rules for HDVs.

The CLECAT response, in line with its feedback to the call for evidence on the revision of the Directive submitted in February, calls inter-alia for:

  • increasing the current 40-tonne weight limitation for border crossings to 44 tonnes and the maximum weight of lorries taking part in intermodal/combined transport operations to 46 tonnes.
  • maintaining the possibility to authorise cross-border transport operations with heavier/longer vehicles between the bordering Member States that allow their circulation in national traffic
  • authorising the use of European Modular system (EMS) vehicles in the EU as a general rule, at least along the TEN-T core and comprehensive network.
  • extending the scope of the Directive to exceptional transport as this type of transport would benefit from harmonisation of legislation and rules.

The Commission will continue the evaluation of the Directive with targeted consultations of key stakeholders. A support study and an impact assessment will be carried out, with the aim of adopting a legislative proposal by the end of 2022.