Strasbourg, 06/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in plenary session on Wednesday 5 September for a first reading, MEPs adopted the report by Boguslaw Liberadzki (PES, Poland) on the proposal for a directive on the inland transport of dangerous goods. As the European Commission had initially suggested, the EP approved consolidation and approximation of existing legislation (Directives 94/55, 96/49, 96/35, 2000/18) and enlargement of its scope to cover inland waterways (see EUROPE 9334 on the proposal). In response to the concern expressed by the Council (which already set out a common guideline in June this year, EUROPE 9443), the European Parliament allows derogations to be granted to member states that do not have a rail network or inland waterways for navigation. Furthermore, the EP adopted an amendment stipulating that member states may lay down specific security requirements for inland and international transport of dangerous goods within their territory as regards vehicles, wagons and inland waterway vessels not covered by the new directive, where specified, as well as the use of prescribed routes, including the use of prescribed modes of transport and special rules for the transport of dangerous goods in passenger trains. These specific requirements must be notified to the Commission.
The directive, to take effect from 1 January 2009, will therefore concern all forms of inland transport (except dangerous goods transport under the direct and physical responsibility or supervision of the armed forces) and, by the above date, will compel the 27 member states to comply with the UN legislation on rules for the construction of transport vehicles, the choice of routes, the training of drivers or other persons concerned and, finally, the elimination and clearing of damage after an accident. Member states will also have the right to ban the transport of dangerous goods for reasons other than security, for example the protection of the environment. A transitional two-year period is foreseen for application of the directive to river and canal craft.
Speaking the day before the vote on behalf of the Commission, the vice-president responsible for transport, Jacques Barrot, was delighted at the agreement reached at first reading between the Parliament and Council, and said it was essential to ensure the free movement of dangerous goods. The rapporteur, who took the view that the directive was a text of great significance for transport security and for the quality of life of citizens, also welcomed the “exemplary” cooperation with the Council. Only the Green MEPs, who welcomed the transparency and readability of the new legislation voicing their views through Eva Lichtenberger (Austria), called for measures to be introduced to ensure that member states implement the directive correctly. (aby)