28 September Transport Council

Date: 05/10/1995

EU transport ministers reached a common position on rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by rail. Agreement was reached once Denmark had been reassured that the tighter rules agreed for the Channel Tunnel rail link could be applied to similar tunnel projects in the future.

MINISTERS failed to approve a proposal to increase the maximum weight of lorries from 40 to 44 tonnes, but did agree new maximum dimensions. The Council agreed to increase the maximum overall length from 18.35 to 18.75 metres and the width limit from 2.50 to 2.55 metres, with the proviso that suitable couplings were fitted. Maximum bus length was raised by three metres to 15 metres, although certain countries were granted a derogation for heavily-congested tourist areas. Sweden and Finland were permitted to continue using 22-metre lorries for domestic journeys, providing they improved access to lorries from other member states.

SPAIN presented a compromise on the liberalisation of ground handling for discussion. The presidency suggested that the rules for handling by third parties be limited to airports with at least three million passenger transfers or 75,000 tonnes of freight per year. For self-handling, the thresholds would be one million passengers or 25,000 tonnes of freight.

ONE year on from the Estonia ferry disaster, Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock pledged to introduce a series of safety proposals in the coming months for roll-on/roll-off ferries. These include requirements to register passengers and rules on ferry construction and operation.

ON air traffic congestion, the Council adopted a resolution calling on Spain, Italy, Finland and Sweden to join the rest of the EU member states in Eurocontrol as soon as possible.

MINISTERS were unable to reach common positions on two proposals on inland waterways because the European Parliament has not delivered its opinion. Germany opposes both proposals and the UK is unhappy at plans to use EU funds for abolishing schemes when so few member states would benefit.

AS part of the “structured dialogue” agreed at the Essen summit, ministers met their counterparts from the nine associated countries from Central and Eastern Europe. Beforehand, they had continued discussions on plans to liberalise road transport between east and west and to transform bilateral agreements into Community accords. Germany and Austria, as the two most directly affected member states, were strongly opposed on environmental and political grounds. Polish minister Boguslav Liberadzki was highly critical of the German attitude.