Press Release: Council agrees its position on lorry sizes

On 5 June 2014 at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting in Brussels, The Council of the European Union reached political agreement on updated rules for the maximum weights and dimensions of heavy-goods vehicles, buses and coaches. The new draft directive aims to amend the current directive from 1996 in order to improve those vehicles' aerodynamics, fuel efficiency and road safety.

Granting derogations on vehicle length so as to allow rear flaps to be attached to the vehicle or the front of the vehicle to be redesigned to create a more aerodynamic shape was one of the proposed changes. Other proposed changes included promoting the use of clean fuels by by authorising a weight increase for alternatively fuelled vehicles and increasing the maximum weight of buses to accommodate various developments.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Mega trucks: a solution or a problem? http://www.europeansources.info/record/mega-trucks-a-solution-or-a-problem/

EurActiv, 28.11.14: France and Sweden delay the introduction of safer trucks http://www.euractiv.com/sections/transport/france-and-sweden-delay-introduction-safer-trucks-310421

ESO: Background information: New EU rules for safer and greener lorries: European Parliament endorses Commission proposal http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-new-eu-rules-for-safer-and-greener-lorries-european-parliament-endorses-commission-proposal/

---