denmark-and-netherlands-demand -EU-wide-admission

30 May 2011. After the Dutch government recently announced the general admission of longer, heavier trucks (LHV's) on its territory it is now, together with Denmark, pressuring the EU to allow the 25 meter long and 60 tons heavy vehicles also in the rest of Europe. In a press release of the Dutch Minister of Transport says: “The Dutch government appeals on the European level already for years to allow LHVs in EU road transport. Minister Schultz van Haegen now hopes that the admission sends a signal to Europe that the use of LHV's is positive for road haulage.”

The Danish government also wants to help mega trucks to make their breakthrough on the EU level. Therefore the government already announced to set the topic of cross-border transport with longer and heavier trucks on the agenda of its EU council presidency in the first half of 2012. An announcement of the Danish Ministry of Transport says: "In regard of the preliminary very positive experiences with mega trucks at home, the government will also work on the EU level to have border crossing trials with mega trucks being allowed. This will be a key aspect of the Danish council presidency in 2012.”

To not fully rely on the EU the Danes are also trying to achieve bilateral agreements. Under the headline “good neighborship” there shall be talks about border crossing mega truck journeys with Germany. A Danish-German commission, consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Transport of both countries plus representatives of the furthest northern German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, shall have exploratory talks on the option of a cross-border corridor for mega trucks: “(…) the commission will also explore the possibility for strengthening the transport axis Jutland – Schleswig-Holstein and evaluate the possibility of a corridor trial with mega trucks.”

The EU directive 96/53, which defines the maximum lenth and weight of trucks in cross-border use, forbids the use of mega trucks in Europe. Accordingly heavy good vehicles are only allowed up to 18.75 meters of length and a maximum weight of 40 tons. In Denmark and the Netherlands longer and heavier trucks of 25 meters and 60 tons are in use for many years - under the disguise of a so-called trial. These trucks will first be real profitable when road transport companies are allowed to use them on long distances across Europe – just the distances where railways and inland waterways are often used at present.

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