Brussels, 10/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament held a plenary session debate on mega-lorries as it adopted, at second reading, a revision to Directive 96/53/EC on the maximum weights and dimensions of lorries.
The aim of the revision of the directive is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to improve road safety. It will permit an increase in the weight of lorries engaged in inter-modal transport and the fitting of retractable aerodynamic devices at the rear of vehicles. It also authorises rounded cabs which provide better visibility for the driver (see EUROPE 11269).
Debate in the plenary session focused principally on an article that ultimately was removed by rapporteur Jörg Leichtfried (S&D, Austria). The article sought to permit mega-lorries - which are larger than conventional lorries, and are used particularly in the Scandinavian countries - to cross borders into other countries. The European Commission is of the view that mega-lorries should be allowed to cross borders, provided the states on either side of the border authorise such vehicles.
The MEPs from the states where these lorries are authorised wanted the article to be retained. During the debate, Jens Nilsson (S&D, Sweden), Peter Lundgren (EFDD, Sweden), Merja Kyllönen (GUE/NGL, Finland) and Wim van de Cam (EPP, Netherlands) argued that mega-lorries were more environmentally friendly since they allow more goods to be transported. Lundgren added that mega-lorries had more axles than normal lorries, meaning that the weight on each axle was far less: “The smallest lorries are more dangerous. They cause more accidents”, in his view. Peter Van Dalen (ECR, Netherlands) railed against the “prejudices that dominate Parliament” and stated that, in the Netherlands, “we have been using these vehicles for ten years and they have had no negative impact on our infrastructure”.
Keith Taylor (Greens/EFA, UK) rejected that last claim, stating that he had read studies that say the opposite. Allowing lorries such as these would have a catastrophic effect in areas of heavy traffic, he said. Kosma Zlotowski (ECR, Poland) and Andor Deli (EPP, Hungary) claimed these vehicles were damaging to road infrastructure. “In many Central European countries, infrastructure is not sufficiently developed to bear such weights”, said Deli. Markus Ferber (EPP, Germany) hailed the final text: “It's a good thing that countries which want to can use these lorries but it's not our desire to introduce them (everywhere)” (our translation throughout). (Jean Comte)