Brussels, 13/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to consult stakeholders on the weight and size of lorries in a questionnaire which has the whiff of the debate on authorising gigaliners, heavy goods vehicles far bigger than the European average. The consultation exercise will run until 27 February and is part of a possible review of Directive 96/53/EC on the maximum sizes and weights authorised for national and international haulage (so far, gigaliners operate in only certain countries, and are exclusively for domestic transport). The questions relate to the environmental interest of any change in lorry sizes (particularly with regard to their aerodynamics) and to support for inter-modality. Putting the consultation firmly into context, the Commission states clearly that it has no intention of providing a framework for the widespread introduction of longer and wider vehicles at European level or of making their use compulsory. So then, there is nothing to fuel a debate on gigaliners, which has, in the past, shown itself to be rather lively. (MD/transl.rt)