Following an appeal lodged by the European Commission on Thursday 17 November, Poland will have to defend its legislation before the Court of Justice of the EU. This legislation requires certain heavy-duty vehicles to obtain a special license from the different bodies responsible for highway management, in order to use secondary roads.
The European Commission accuses Poland of incorrect implementation of Council Directive 96/53/EC on maximum weights and dimensions of certain road vehicles. Poland requires trucks with a weight per axle exceeding eight tonnes or ten tonnes to obtain a special license. Heavy duty vehicles complying with the EU regulation (the standard is set at 11.5 t) are also targeted by this measure, although they should be free to use the road network.
The Commission particularly highlights the administrative burden this involves for the operators affected, given that the Polish road network is managed by different levels of government (municipalities, districts, regions and central government). A single journey can therefore require obtaining several licences, which is a lengthy procedure, the Commission points out. (Original version in French by Jan Kordys)