Brussels, 03/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - As the European Commission is stepping up its efforts to create a single European transport area, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) brought out a study on 28 October on the harmonisation of container dimensions. In its conclusions, the study deplores the fact that, as things stand, there are no containers that meet all existing international standards, as the transport sector is too fragmented and goods transported vary too much in size and weight.
Motor vehicle manufacturers consider that, in order to meet such challenges, it is a feasible approach to bring in, via the market, containers that are 45' wide adapted for palettes. However, the concept has still to be promoted as an international standard. There's the rub, as the EU seems bogged down in all the different legislation relating to vehicle size (passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and heavy goods vehicles), and is finding it difficult to enact on the harmonisation of standards (the perfect example of this being gigaliners or eco-combis). The tactful judgement of the ACEA is that effective transport can only be ensured by consensus within the industry on adequate dimensions, with the support of politicians.
In the knowledge that goods transport will continue to expand, the ACEA report also calls for the trend towards local consumption to be taken into account, as well as the growing importance of emerging markets, including the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and also South Africa). These two factors will, in time, weaken Europe's foothold on globalised transport. (MD/transl.jl)