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The next trilogue on the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive, initially scheduled for 10 November, has been postponed and is now expected to take place no earlier than late November. The preparatory discussion among Member States’ deputy ambassadors has also been rescheduled.

At the trilogue on 11 June, Council and Parliament negotiators reached a provisional agreement on cross-border circulation of European Modular Systems (EMS), vehicle combinations that can weigh 60 tonnes or more. Under the agreed provisions, a Member State allowing EMS on its territory would not be able to refuse their entry from a neighbouring Member State that also permits them, provided the applicable national weight and length limits are respected. Member States would remain free to decide whether to authorise EMS domestically.

The provisional agreement would also allow EMS trials for a maximum of seven years, as requested by the Council, compared with the five years proposed by the Commission and Parliament. An assessment of road infrastructure would be required before trials could begin.

Cross-border circulation of 44-tonne vehicle combinations remains unresolved and is expected to feature in the next round of negotiations. This is an issue of particular concern to France. Negotiators must also agree on additional weight allowances for zero-emission trucks to compensate for the weight of batteries.

CLECAT calls on negotiators to conclude negotiations by December 2026. The revised rules should support more efficient freight transport, including cross-border use of 44-tonne combinations, and facilitate the transition to zero-emission trucks through appropriate additional weight allowances.