IRU welcomes the Council’s balanced general approach on the Weights and Dimensions Directive and calls for final improvements in the Parliament.
EU transport ministers have adopted a general approach on the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive, marking a major step towards further enabling more efficient, sustainable and zero-emission road transport. The agreement reflects sustained leadership from the Danish Presidency and constructive engagement from all Member States, bringing years of complex negotiations to a successful conclusion.
The general approach puts forward a balanced package of measures: enabling the rollout of zero-emission vehicles, improving operational efficiency, strengthening incentives for intermodal transport, and advancing harmonisation and simplification across the EU.
IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, “The road transport industry has been waiting for the Council’s negotiating position for a long time. Finally, we can move towards trilogue negotiations.”
“We hope that negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission can come to a strong agreement that not only encourages the use of zero-emission vehicles but allows higher-capacity vehicles to be used on a wider scale than today,” she added.
Beyond zero-emission enablers and efficiency measures, the general approach also gives clearer signals towards harmonising rules for vehicle logistics and for indivisible or exceptional load transports, alongside efforts to simplify and digitalise procedures. Ensuring that these elements are preserved and further reinforced during trilogues will be essential, together with maintaining strong incentives for operators active in intermodal transport.
The upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament and the Commission will be decisive in delivering a future-proof framework that supports EU climate objectives while ensuring efficient, competitive and resilient road transport operations.
IRU encourages co-legislators to consolidate these elements during trilogue negotiations.