Brussels, 11/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - A new design for lorry cabins was the subject of a preliminary inter-institutional agreement between the Parliament and Council. Nonetheless, it will not be until 2022 when the new kind of safer and more aerodynamic heavy-duty vehicles are operating on European roads. Certain commentators have said that this is a missed opportunity.
New cabins in 2022. On Wednesday evening 10 December, negotiators reached an agreement on revising the directive on weights and measures. This flagship measure authorises modifications to lorry cabin designs, as a means of guaranteeing progress in terms of CO2 emissions reduction, greater aerodynamic performance and road safety (the cabin will be made more rounded, with greater flexibility) but it will not be until around 2022 that this measure will be applicable. Negotiators agreed on these provisions, which are not, however, compulsory and will not enter into force until three years after type approval. This still needs to be proposed by the European Commission (probably in the form of a directive that will be examined in co-decision procedure). Parliament wanted the new cabin to be available as soon as the revised directive is transposed (in two years time, 2017) but the Council, under pressure from truck manufacturing countries like Sweden, France, Germany and Romania were in favour of postponing the introduction onto the market until five years after transposition.
Revision in 2020. Although at the beginning of the legislative process, authorisation of cross-border lorry traffic monopolised the debate, negotiators avoided any pitfalls by introducing a clause for revising the directive in 2020 or thereabouts (three years after transposition). The European Parliament suggested, however, that the Commission present an impact study and report.
The preliminary compromise also includes equipping the new models of lorries with a weight sensor system and rear flaps to improve their aerodynamic shape. The revised definition of combined transport introduced in this directive by the European Commission was not retained (EUROPE 11214).
Scoreboard overshadowed. Although the overall compromise is a “rather good result”, according to rapporteur Jörg Leichtfried (S&D, Austria) when contacted by EUROPE, it was less appreciated by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the Transport&Environnement body. William Todts, speaking on behalf of this organisation said that postponing the modifications to cabin design until 2022 cast a shadow on the good news, as it did for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. The executive director of the ETSC was also categorical about the question and pointed out that every year lost would cost a human life because the technical improvements could save up to 900 lives. Transport companies, however, speaking through the voice of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), were satisfied with the compromise.
Preliminary agreement. The agreement, however, is still only a preliminary one and still has to be formally endorsed by Coreper (Wednesday, 17 December) and by a vote at the EP transport committee at the beginning of 2015. (MD)