Brussels, 15/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas has confirmed the exemption to the ban on the use of mega-lorries for cross-border transport. Three special derogations are set out under EU Directive 96/53 on maximum lorry size, and on Thursday 13 June Kallas briefed the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on the reasons for exemptions in a letter to the head of the European Parliament's transport and tourism committee, Brian Simpson (S&D, UK), as requested by the MEPs. Kallas says he wants to avoid absurd situations when the directive is applied, but has promised the co-legislators that he will revise the rules when the time comes to update the technical and aerodynamic rules of the directive at the end of the year. He says there are three situations justifying a breaking of the rules on longer, heavier lorries. Two are not very controversial - covering loads that cannot be separated into smaller loads and mega-lorries used in pilot projects. The controversy arises in the wording of the derogation for modular vehicles used in Finland and Sweden, whose use will be allowed in other countries if infrastructure is capable of supporting them and if their use does not introduce an uneven playing field for freight transport. The Commission says it is up to the member states to decide whether to allow mega-lorries into their country. It remains to be seen whether the European Parliament will take kindly to this approach - the Transport and Environment Association says it flies in the face of environmental protection. (MD/transl.fl)