Brussels, 20/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - With just a few days to go before Siim Kallas gives his ideas on gigaliners during the EP transport committee and perhaps even at the Transport Council this Thursday, those opposing the crossborder use of such over-sized lorries are preparing their arguments against such giants. The European transport commissioner will have to reinterpret legislation on weights and measures for heavy goods vehicles and leave it up to member states to decide whether or not to close their borders to gigaliners. Opponents say the dividing line is on the legislative as well as environmental level. Legal interpretation by the company Sherman & Sterlin LLP, to which the German government and the NGO Transport and Environment (T&E) make mention, considers that Directive 96/53/EC does not authorise such crossborder use, and that amending it without involving the Council and Parliament in codecision procedure could lead to the case being taken before European courts of justice. Michael Kramer of Germany, who is spokesman for the Greens at the European Parliament, took offence at this saying: “Instead of caving to pressure from the road transport lobby, the Commission should be upholding EU legislation and should not push ahead with these plans. It needs to adhere to its previously stated position, which ruled out any cross-border traffic of gigaliners”. The NGO T&E takes the same view and sounds a note of caution saying that the argument in favour of super lorries, especially that from the road lobby, refers to the environment and to the reduction of CO2, when that has nothing to do with it. Jos Ding, the association's general secretary, spoke of “green washing” and states that super lorries would not allow greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced, and that their crossborder use would be detrimental to rail market shares. On the other hand, he is not opposed to reviewing the directive that would improve streamlining. In collaboration with the European Aluminium Association, T&E campaigns so that the front of these “smart trucks” be extended by 80 cm, with a rounded, aluminium cab. According to studies commissioned by these associations from the German institute for automobile research, FKA, this increase in lorry length would improve aerodynamic and increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, as blind angles would be eliminated and there would be greater shock absorbency in “crumple zones”. The aluminium, known for its lightness (less than 10kg more per cab) and energy absorption capacity would be the most suitable material to reduce CO2 emissions by 5% and avoid hundreds of fatal accidents, FKA states. (MD/transl.jl)