Changes from plenary report to adopted text

RemovedRecital 23: (23) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Directive, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish an EU common standard application form and harmonise the rules and procedures for the issuing of national permits or similar arrangements for vehicles or vehicle combinations which exceed the maximum weights and/or dimensions and are intended to carry indivisible loads, to establish a standard reporting format for Member States to comply with their reporting obligations, and to establish temporary exceptions from the application of the weights and dimensions limits used in international traffic between Member States affected by a crisis. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council45 .

Added(9a) To maximise road safety and proper working conditions, it is important to ensure that drivers of EMS have adequate training and the qualifications required for handling heavier and longer vehicles and vehicle combinations. Member States should have the possibility to establish minimum requirements or a certification scheme for drivers of EMS. In order to ensure a level playing field that provides for equal treatment, and non-discrimination, of drivers and operators of EMS, Member States should guarantee that these certifications are mutually recognised in the concerned Member States. [Am. 6]

RemovedRecital 23 a (new): (23a) In order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of this Directive and in order to measure progress against its specific objectives, it is important to regularly evaluate its implementation and impact. Therefore, the Commission should present regular assessment reports on the application of this Directive, based on the enabling conditions for the market uptake of zero-emission heavy duty vehicles, such as the availability and capacity of appropriate alternative fuels infrastructure, the impact of the European system on road transport as well as road user charges differentiated by CO2 emissions in Member States. These reports should contain detailed information on these enabling conditions, and on the evolution of national and international road transport, the impact on road safety and road infrastructure, modal shift, the use of smart enforcement systems, and technological advancements on road transport. Additionally, the reports should consider the scalability of measures in alignment with the long-term goals of the Directive. On the basis of the findings in these assessments, the report should, where appropriate, be accompanied by a legislative proposal to amend this Directive and the obligations established therein.

Added(10) Member States should continue to be allowed to run trials on a temporary basis. Indeed, new technologies allowing for in-motion charging, such as solar panels, pantographs and electric roads, or the progressive introduction of EMS in Member States, may require exceeding the maximum weights and dimensions in a testing environment, including in cross-border sections of the road network. Therefore, Member States should continue to be allowed to conduct such trials and be able to test the compatibility of new technologies and concepts across borders. The temporary and innovative nature of trials needs to be clarified by setting up a maximum period of time to conduct them. At the same time, the number of trials of new technologies and innovative schemes should not be restricted to avoid hampering innovation. Member States should regularly monitor and assess the performance and impacts of testing the new technologies and new concepts on road safety, on the road infrastructure, on modal cooperation, as well as the environmental impacts on the transport system, such as impacts on the modal share.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(10a) The new harmonised rules for EMS in national and international traffic in Member States which allow their circulation should entail the gathering of data on road safety in those Member States, including the share of fatalities and injuries from collisions. Taking into account that vulnerable road users account for nearly one third of the deaths in collisions involving heavy-duty vehicles, Member States should make sure that EMS do not negatively impact road safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists as well as motor-cyclists and persons with disabilities or reduced mobility and orientation. [Am. 7]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e, Article 2 – paragraph 1 – indent 14: — ‘alternatively fuelled vehicle’ shall mean a motor vehicle powered wholly or in part by an alternative fuel and which has been approved under the framework of Regulation (EU) 2018/858;

Added(11) The transport of indivisible loads carried out by vehicles or vehicle combinations exceeding the maximum weights or dimensions and the use of EMS, given their needs for additional safety features and for suitable infrastructure, require that special attention is given to elements such as transparency of relevant information, legal certainty and harmonisation of the permit processes. It is therefore necessary for Member States to establish a single electronic information and communication system containing all the relevant information regarding the operational and administrative conditions for the transport of indivisible loads and for the use of EMS, in a clear and easily accessible manner. This national system should also enable the operators to obtain the information and submit electronically the application, in aan EU standardised format, for special permits for the carriage of indivisible loads in the Member State concerned. In addition, that national system should provide information on the national maximum authorised weights and dimensions of vehicles and vehicle combinations, information on possible restrictions, in particular on height. To ensure that operators and citizens can access all relevant information in one place, a dedicated European web portal connecting the national electronic and communication systems and providing, among others, a clear graphic overview of the roads on which EMS, and, where available, vehicles transporting indivisible loads, are allowed to circulate in the relevant Member States, should be established by the Commission, at the latest by [6 months after the date of transposition of this Directive]. [Am. 8]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(12) The artificial barriers to the cross-border transport of heavier lorries primarily used in long distance transport (such as vehicle combinations with 5 and 6 axles), should be removed in a harmonised way to take advantage in the short term of the operational, energy and environmental efficiency linked to the greater loading capacity granted by the Member States, including for intermodal transport. To effectively drive the transition towards zero-emission mobility, and maximise the effects of relevant existing environmental law it is necessary to phase out the use of such heavier lorries running on fossil fuels, as of 2035, whento strengthen legal certainty for investments and to further encourage the market penetration of more efficient zero-emission HDVs is projected to increase significantly up to around 50% of new HDV registrations. After the phasing out, heavier lorries should continue to be allowed in national traffic while, in international traffic, they should comply with the maximum authorised weights set up in Annex I to Directive 96/53/EC, which limits the extra weight allowance to zero-emission vehicles and to vehicles involved in an intermodal transport operation. [Am. 9]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b, Article 4 – paragraph 3 – subparagraphs 2, 3 and 3 a (new): Member States shall ensure that the procedure for obtaining permits or similar arrangements for the transport of indivisible loads is smooth, efficient and non-discriminatory, by providing an EU common standard application form and by minimising administrative burdens and avoiding unnecessary delays. / Member States shall guarantee that the conditions under which the permits or similar arrangements related to the transport of indivisible loads are issued are proportionate and non-discriminatory. In particular, Member States shall issue the permits or similar arrangements in an electronic format and cooperate to further harmonise the permit issuing deadlines. Member States shall also cooperate to avoid the multiplicity of vehicle markings and signalling, and to favour the use of pictograms over text. Furthermore, Member States shall cooperate to harmonise the relevant rules for escorting transport of indivisible loads, such as on the prescribed use, markings and signs for escort vehicles. Member States shall not impose language requirements related to the drivers of transport of indivisible loads. / Member States shall ensure that the vehicles carrying indivisible loads display the EU label set out in Article 10ca.

Added(13) The proof of compliance of vehicles with the values set out in Directive 96/53/EC should contain comprehensive information in accordance with the updated Union’s rules on uniform procedures and technical specifications for the type-approval of vehicles. The references to the applicable Union rules should therefore be updated, in order to include a specific reference to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/535. The information that should be included in the proof of compliance should further be aligned with the maximum weights authorised under Directive 96/53/EC. Controlling intermodal nature of a transport operation, as defined in Article 2, can be particularly challenging in non-containerised transport. To ensure that extra weight allowance for heavy-duty vehicles involved in intermodal transport operations is used appropriately it is necessary that operators provide a proof of intermodal nature of the operation. The platforms for digital transport data established pursuant Regulation (EU) 1056/2020 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘eFTI platforms’) provide a suitable tool as they are built to include the regulatory information requirements, set in Article 3 and 7 of Directive 92/106/ECC. Therefore, the use of an eFTI platform should be made mandatory to record and make available relevant transport information, with regards to transport modes used to carry the cargo.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(14) Vehicle carriers withtransporters, of which many have open bodies, have very limited potential to reduce their energy consumption via improved aerodynamics. Diverging national rules on the overhanging of loads on vehicle carrierstransporters cause distortions of competition and limit significantly their potential to improve operational efficiency and energy performance in international traffic. Therefore, it is necessary to harmonise rules on the overhanging of loads of vehicle carriers with open bodies,transporters so as to ensure that these objectives are properly met. [Am. 10]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b, Article 4 – paragraph 4: 4. Member States may allow vehicles or vehicle combinations used for transport which carry out certain national or international transport operations that do not significantly affect international competition in the transport sector to circulate in their territory with weights or dimensions deviating from those laid down in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 to 1.8, 2, 4.1. 4.2 and 4.4 of Annex I.

Added(15) Heavy-duty vehicles with elongated cabs have started making their entrance on the market, paired with zero-emission propulsion systems. Using zero-emission propulsion systems requires, depending on the technology, extra space which should not be counted at the expense of the effective load of the vehicle, so that the zero-emission road transport sector is not penalised in economic terms. It should thus be clarified that the excess in the maximum lengths provided for the elongated cabs can be such that it provides space needed for accommodating zero-emission technology, such as batteries and hydrogen tanks, provided that the safety, efficiency and comfort features of aerodynamic cabs are not jeopardized, and that the vehicle concerned complies with the “turning circle rule”. [Am. 11]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(16) Similarly to the need for extra space, current standards are also not suitable to compensate for the extra weight of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, in particular in long distance transport. Additional weight and axle weight are necessary for zero-emission vehicle combinations, as well as to the most common passenger vehicles in use in the Union. Lighter technologies and better aerodynamics will render the use of zero-emission propulsion systems more efficient (for example, to allow for longer range travelled and longer battery life) by reducing their energy consumption. To provide additional incentives to the deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, to promote technological development, as well as the equipment of vehicles with improved aerodynamics, extra weight allowances should therefore be disconnected from the weight of the zero-emission technology.

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point c, Article 4 – paragraph 4a: (-a) For new EMS routes, the Member States shall make a prior assessment of the possible impact of European Modular Systems on road safety, on the road infrastructure, on modal cooperation, as well as the environmental impacts of European Modular Systems on the transport system, including the impacts on modal split. The assessment shall be made publicly available. Member States that have already established EMS routes in their territory at the date of the entry into force of this Directive, are not required to make a prior assessment for these already established routes; / (d) the Member States shall establish a monitoring system of impact of European Modular Systems on road safety, on the road infrastructure, on modal cooperation, on traffic volumes, as well as the environmental impacts of European Modular Systems on the transport system, including the impacts on modal split, taking into account the prior assessment performed under point (-a); / (d a) the Member States shall ensure that appropriate measures are taken to avoid any possible negative impacts on road safety, including the safety of vulnerable road users, as a result of use of European Modular Systems. / Member States may establish minimum requirements or a certification scheme for the drivers of European Modular Systems, provided that they ensure proportionality and non-discrimination. Member States shall cooperate to mutually recognise each other’s certifications. / Member States shall notify the Commission in …

Added(16a) The multiplicity of different vehicle markings and signalling in Member States can be confusing for road users and detrimental for road safety in the Union. In order to improve road safety, a standardised EU label for the length of motor vehicles or vehicle combinations used in EMS or which deviate from standard dimensions should be established at Union level. That EU label would help road users to identify and familiarise themselves with such vehicles and would reduce any risks arising from visibility restrictions or blind spots, for example when overtaking such long vehicles or vehicle combinations. [Am. 12]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(16b) Battery electric, fuel-cell and other hydrogen-powered vehicles have a strong potential to decarbonise certain segments of the heavy duty transport sector and their development should be encouraged, while taking into account the fact that no technology goes without an environmental impact. Where electrification is not possible or less efficient and hydrogen fuelled vehicles are not appropriate or cost competitive, the principle of technological neutrality allows for ensuring a level playing field with other technologies that are more mature. [Am. 13]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d, Article 4 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1: Member States may allow for a limited period of time trials of vehicles or vehicle combinations incorporating new technologies or new concepts which cannot comply with requirements of this Directive. Such vehicles or vehicle combinations shall be allowed to carry out certain national or international transport operations for the trial period only after demonstrating that the targeted transport activities cannot be conducted by any other form of transport that offers similar or superior safety and environmental benefits. It must be proven that this does not have a significant impact on intermodal competition in the transportation industry as a whole. In particular, trials with European Modular Systems shall be allowed for a maximum of five years and can be renewed once for a maximum of three years. If a Member State decides to renew a trial, it shall provide sufficient justification to the Commission. The number of trials shall not be limited. Member States shall inform the Commission thereof.

Added(17) Effective, efficient, and consistent enforcement of the rules is of utmost importance to ensure undistorted competition between operators and eliminate risks to road safety and to road infrastructure posed by vehicles unlawfully exceeding the applicable weights or dimensions. To better target roadside controls at overloaded vehicles, and if they choose to use automatic systems on the road infrastructure, Member States should ensure as a minimum the deployment of suchautomatic systems in the trans-European road transport network, including certified ones on the TEN-T core network. Additionally, it should also be possible to use accurate and fully interoperable on-board weighting equipment. Such certified automatic systems should be able to recognise vehicles or vehicle combinations which exceed the maximum authorised weights, but have a derogation for it based on a valid special permit or a similar arrangement. The systems should also be able to detect if the requirements of special permits are being met. This is expected to avoid unjustified penalties and save administrative costs for both operators and Member States. Moreover, for reliability and consistency of the enforcement across the Union, the mandatory minimum level of controls to be performed by Member States should be established in proportion to the level of traffic on their territories by the vehicles within scope of this Directive, including an appropriate number of controls during night hours. [Am. 14]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(18) To further step up enforcement and monitoring of the circulation of heavy-duty vehicles on the Union’s roads, reduce congestion, enhance road safety, reduce risks of damage to infrastructure and promote sustainable transport operations, Member States should be encouraged to establish Intelligent Access Policy schemes that ensure compliance with rules on the maximum authorised weights and dimensions. When establishing such schemes, Member States should apply minimum common requirements to such schemes in order to guarantee harmonisation and interoperability across de EUthe Union, in particular as regards accessibility and format of relevant data to be exchanged. The relevant data should be accessible in real-time and in the official languages of the Union. The schemes should help to ensure that the right vehicle with the right cargo, operates on the right road, and at the right time to secure minimum impact on environment, infrastructure, human health and safety, and society. The establishment of such schemes should make use of advanced intelligent transport systems, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, vehicle-to-network communication, real-time data sharing and remote monitoring, in order to ensure safe and smooth traffic of heavy-duty vehicles and they should not lead to disproportionate or discriminatory traffic restrictions. [Am. 15]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point e, Article 4 – paragraph 5a: 5a. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 10h to supplement this Directive by determining the minimum sets of data and the performance indicators to be provided by the prior assessments and monitoring systems set up by the Member States as referred to in paragraphs 4a, points (-a) and (d), and 5 of this Article.;

Added(18a) The enforcement of Directive 96/53/EC is an essential part of the well-established monitoring and enforcement systems at Union and national level which contribute to the implementation of the Union’s social, market and technical rules applicable to road transport. When non-compliance with the prescribed weights and dimensions requirements is detected, enforcement actions are to be taken by the competent national authorities. Member States should ensure that the penalties are non-discriminatory both as regards the types of penalty chosen and their levels, and that they are effective, dissuasive and proportionate to the seriousness of the infringement committed. Those infringements should be recorded in the national register of road transport undertakings, exchanged via the European Register of Road Transport Undertakings (ERRU) and reflected in the risk rating score of the undertakings in line with Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009. It is expected that cross-border implementation of sanctions within the scope of Directive 96/53/EC will be facilitated through an amended Directive (EU) 2015/413 on Cross-Border Enforcement. [Am. 16]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(18b) In order to make progress in the green and digital transitions and to comply with the objectives set in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, particularly as regards the GHG emission reductions from the transport sector, Member States should be encouraged to use the revenues generated from the penalties applicable to the infringements of this Directive, or the equivalent in financial value of those revenues, to support the uptake of sustainable transport means and hence mitigate the external costs generated by transport operations, encourage intermodality, and increase the sustainability of cross-border transport operations. [Am. 17]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 4a – paragraph 1 – point c a (new): (ca) a single national access point to obtain information, in a clear, accessible, and transparent manner, regarding national maximum authorised weights and dimensions of vehicles, as well as any restrictions, including on height, in specified areas or on specific roads.

Added(19) To promote the growth of multimodal transportation system, containerised transport, including those using 45-foot or 48-foot containers, 45-foot swap bodies or high-cube containers, should be further facilitated by allowing extra height and length to road vehicles to transport high-cubethese containers. [Am. 18]

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(19a) The Commission should review the current type approval legislation in order to strengthen the technical and operational compatibility of new heavy duty vehicles and vehicle combinations, inter alia concerning their weight, shape, size, craneability, and retractability and foldability of protruding devices, with the requirements of combined transport operations, as well as to facilitate the use and uptake of zero-emission trailers and semi-trailers. [Am. 19]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 4a – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. By [6 months after the date of transposition of this Directive], the Commission shall establish, and thereafter manage, a dedicated and up-to-date European web portal, available in all official languages of the Union, connecting, in a clear, accessible, and transparent manner, the national electronic and communications systems, referred to in paragraph 1. This European portal shall also make publicly available, in an accessible and transparent way, the parts of the road network where European Modular Systems, and, where available, vehicles transporting indivisible loads, can circulate.

Added(20) The European Parliament and the Council should be regularly informed of the results of the checks of compliance carried out by the Member States’ competent authorities, on the deployment and the use of enforcement tools and monitoring systems, in particular in the context of assessing the operational, safety and environmental impacts of the use of heavier and/or longer vehicles, including modular vehicle combinations. This information, provided by the Member States, should enable the Commission to monitor the market developments and compliance with Directive 96/53/EC. To facilitate for Member States the submission of the necessary information to the Commission and to ensure uniformity and comparability of data, enabling to monitor compliance and evaluate the overall performance of Directive 96/53/EC, it is desirable that the Commission establishes a uniform user-friendly reporting format.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(21) To enable a swift response of the road transport sector to any crisis, such as natural disasters, pandemics, military conflicts or infrastructure failures, there is a need to introduce an emergency clause to Directive 96/53/EC, which enables temporarily the circulation of heavy-duty vehicles exceeding the maximum permitted weights and/or dimensions, in order to ensure a continued supply of necessary goods and services. Such exceptional clause should be applied only where the public interest requires it, and provided that road safety is not thereby jeopardised and its possible renewal should be conditional upon the persistence of the crisis. [Am. 20]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 4a – paragraph 2: 2. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing an EU common standard permit application form and harmonising the rules and procedures, including regarding the necessary vehicle registration information, for the issuing, including in digital format, of national permits or similar arrangements referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and in Article 4(3), as well as harmonising the relevant rules for escorting transport of indivisible loads. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 10i(2).

Added(22) In order to ensure that the monitoring systems to be set up by the Member States for assessing the impacts of EMS and trials comply with minimum harmonised requirements, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to supplement Directive 96/53/EC in respect of determining the minimum sets of data and/or performance indicators to be provided by those monitoring systems. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 2016. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(23) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Directive, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish aan EU common standard application form and harmonise the rules and procedures for the issuing of national permits or similar arrangements for vehicles or vehicle combinations which exceed the maximum weights and/or dimensions and are intended to carry indivisible loads, to establish a standard reporting format for Member States to comply with their reporting obligations, and to establish temporary exceptions from the application of the weights and dimensions limits used in international traffic between Member States affected by a crisis. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council. [Am. 21]

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5 – point a a (new), Article 6 – paragraph 4: (a a) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following : / "4. Vehicles carrying proof of compliance shall be subject: / — as regards common standards on dimensions, to checks where there is a suspicion of non-compliance with this Directive."

Added(23a) In order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of this Directive and in order to measure progress against its specific objectives, it is important to regularly evaluate its implementation and impact. Therefore, the Commission should present regular assessment reports on the application of this Directive, based on the enabling conditions for the market uptake of zero-emission heavy duty vehicles, such as the availability and capacity of appropriate alternative fuels infrastructure, the impact of the European system on road transport as well as road user charges differentiated by CO2 emissions in Member States. These reports should contain detailed information on these enabling conditions, and on the evolution of national and international road transport, the impact on road safety and road infrastructure, modal shift, the use of smart enforcement systems, and technological advancements on road transport. Additionally, the reports should consider the scalability of measures in alignment with the long-term goals of the Directive. On the basis of the findings in these assessments, the report should, where appropriate, be accompanied by a legislative proposal to amend this Directive and the obligations established therein. [Am. 22]

Removed(Directive 96/53/EC)

Added(24) Taking into account the many amendments to Annex I to Directive 96/53/EC relating to the need to provide additional incentives to the deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, to the need to harmonise the maximum weight of 5-axle motor vehicles and to the need to promote intermodal transport, it is appropriate, for reasons of clarity, to replace it.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(25) In order to add the information requested under Directive 96/53/EC to the scope of Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 that Regulation needs to be amended.

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7, Article 8c: Vehicle transporters may exceed the maximum lengths laid down in point 1.1 of Annex I while loaded, up to a total of 20,75 meters, using load supports, such as extendable rear load supports. / The load support of vehicle transporters may not protrude in relation to the overhanging load. The load may protrude in front of the towing vehicle up to a maximum of 0,5 meters, provided that all of the axles of the transported vehicle rest on the vehicle structure. The load may protrude from behind up to a maximum of 1,5 meters, provided that at the most one axle of the transported vehicle rests on the rear load support.;

Added(26) Since the objectives of this Directive, namely ensuring road safety, fostering sustainable and efficient transport operations, and promoting the functioning of the internal market, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, but can rather, by reasons of the cross-border nature of road transport and of the problems this Directive is intended to address, be better achieved at the Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

Added(27) In accordance with the Joint Political Declaration of 28 September 2011 of Member States and the Commission on explanatory documents, Member States have undertaken to accompany, in justified cases, the notification of their transposition measures with one or more documents explaining the relationship between the components of a directive and the corresponding parts of national transposition instruments. With regard to this Directive, the legislator considers the transmission of such documents to be justified.

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a, Article 9a – paragraph 1: 1. Vehicles or vehicle combinations which comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/858 may exceed the maximum lengths laid down in point 1.1 of Annex I to this Directive provided that their cabs deliver improved aerodynamic performance, energy efficiency, safety performance and driver comfort. Any excess of the maximum lengths allowed under this Article may also be used to install zero-emission technology. Vehicles or vehicle combinations equipped with such cabs shall comply with point 1.5 of Annex I to this Directive and any exceeding of the maximum lengths shall not result in an increase in the load capacity of those vehicles.

Added(28) Directive 96/53/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,

RemovedDirective 96/53/EC

AddedHAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9, Article 10b – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1: The maximum lengths laid down in point 1.1 of Annex I for zero-emission vehicles or vehicle combinations including zero-emission vehicles may be exceeded by the additional length necessary to accommodate the zero-emission technology to allow the addition of such devices. Such zero-emission vehicles or vehicle combinations shall comply with points 1.5 and 1.5a of Annex I to this Directive, and any exceeding of the maximum lengths shall not result in an increase in the loading length of those vehicles or vehicle combinations, in order to ensure the compatibility of trailers and semi-trailers with the requirements for intermodal transport operations.

AddedArticle 1 Amendments to Directive 96/53/EC

Change 2

ChangedDirective 96/53/EC is amended as follows:

Change 3

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10, Article 10c – paragraph 1: In the case of vehicles or vehicle combinations engaged in an intermodal transport operation, the maximum length laid down in point 1.1 of Annex I for an articulated vehicle, subject where applicable to Article 9a(1) and 10b(2), shall be of 18,00 m and the maximum distance laid down in point 1.6 of Annex I shall be of 13,50 m;